‍More than 4,300 Homicides and 1,600 Suicides Since 2017: Digital Platform Allows Exploration of Violent Deaths in Puerto Rico

From 2017 to 2023, Puerto Rico has recorded 4,304 homicides and 1,685 suicides.These figures reflect a complex phenomenon that impacts families, communities, and public safety and health throughout the archipelago.

With the goal of promoting a deeper and more accessible understanding of this reality, the Puerto Rico Violent Death Reporting System (PRVDRS) developed a digital platform that allows for a detailed and contextualized examination of the data.

“The public policy formulation process requires reliable data and rigorous analysis. This tool allows us to measure the magnitude of violent deaths in Puerto Rico and better understand the circumstances surrounding these incidents. Evidence-based decision-making is fundamental to effectively addressing this public health and safety issue,” expressed Planner Mario O. Font Martin, Statistical Projects Manager and Coordinator of the PRVDRS.

Data to Help Understand the Phenomenon

The PRVDRS integrates information from multiple official sources, including the Puerto Rico Police, the Institute of Forensic Sciences, and the Demographic Registry of the Department of Health. By combining these sources into an anonymized database, the system allows for the analysis of not only how many deaths occur but also the circumstances surrounding them.

From the start of data collection in 2017 through 2023, the system has documented:

• 4,304 homicides
• 1,685 suicides

This integration allows for the identification of patterns and trends that are not always visible in individual reports.

What Does the Digital Platform Offer?

The tool allows citizens to:

• Explore historical trends since 2017.
• Analyze data through interactive visualizations and maps.
• Examine the classification of violence (e.g., community or collective).
• Identify the type of weapon involved.
• Review circumstances associated with the incidents.

Currently, the platform presents official consolidated data through 2023, along with preliminary data from 2024 to 2026, which will be updated monthly.

A Nationally Integrated Effort

The PRVDRsis part of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The PRVDRS collects information documented by the Puerto Rico Police, the Institute of Forensic Sciences, and death certificates from the Department of Health's Demographic Registry into an anonymous database with over 600 variables. For more information on the NVDRS, you can access the following link: National Violent Death Reporting System.

This methodology allows for an understanding of not only the cause of death but also the circumstances and factors related to each case, facilitating comparisons with other U.S. jurisdictions.

Public Access

The platform is available through the official portal of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics: Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System (PRVDRS) interactive tool

Open access to this data strengthens transparency and fosters informed conversations regarding violence prevention and public policy. Understanding the data is an essential step toward addressing one of the most complex challenges facing Puerto Rico in an informed manner.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

The Institute is an autonomous government entity responsible for coordinating the production of government statistics to ensure that the data collection systems upon which public policies are based are complete, reliable, and provide rapid and universal access.

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Pan American Health Organization works with the Institute of Statistics to collect statistics on Puerto Rico's mental health system

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics will provide guidance on how to access and interpret Puerto Rico's financial statistics in the "Financial Statistics" webinar this Thursday, May 21.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics announced it will host the "Financial Statistics" webinar, an educational initiative aimed at presenting and contextualizing the main indicators of Puerto Rico's financial system, as well as the official sources available for their analysis and interpretation.

The event will take place this Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., as part of the Institute's Academies and Workshops Program. The webinar will be offered virtually via the GoToWebinar platform, will include 1.5 contact hours and will be free of charge, although prior registration is required via the following link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8839159147111590485.

The speaker will be the Institute's statistical projects manager, Dr. Ronald G. Hernández Maldonado, who will discuss indicators published by entities such as the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), the Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives of Puerto Rico (COSSEC), and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics itself.

Topics to be discussed include the main data sources for financial statistics used in Puerto Rico, the interpretation of economic and financial indicators, and the official platforms where the public can access this information for analysis, research, and decision-making.

“Financial statistics provide a better understanding of the behavior of various economic sectors and facilitate informed decision-making in both public and private spheres. Access to and understanding of this data is fundamental for promoting more precise analyses of Puerto Rico's economic reality and strengthening the use of official and reliable information,” said Hernández Maldonado.

"Financial education based on empirical data is the first step towards more accurate decision-making, both personally and collectively. We encourage all citizens to participate in this free virtual event, designed to make financial statistics an accessible, useful, and highly valuable tool for everyone,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Institute.

The webinar is aimed at professionals, researchers, students, and individuals interested in the economic and financial analysis of Puerto Rico. As requirements, participants must have an internet connection and access to a computer or tablet.