San Juan, Puerto Rico — June 17, 2025. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute released the results of the Cost of Living Index (COLI) for the first quarter of 2025 (January-March). The data reveals that in the urban area of Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas, public services registered an index of 161.0 (position 5 out of 282), equivalent to a cost 61% higher than the average of the participating jurisdictions. The main factor behind this gap is the residential electricity rate, whose price was 90.5% above the average of the urban areas participating in the study.

More expensive foods

In the supermarket category, the data reveal that the urban area of San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas is ranked 13th out of 282 participating urban areas in the United States, with an index of 110.7. This indicates that the cost of food in this urban area is 10.7% higher than the average for the rest of the participating areas.

Among the supermarket items considered for the COLI study, several products registered particularly high price gaps compared to the average of the participating jurisdictions.

Here are some selected items:

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An MSA is delimited according to demographic and economic criteria, considering the degree of socioeconomic integration measured by the daily movements of individuals within the urban area to their urban core. This metropolitan area has more than 2 million people, about two-thirds of the total population of Puerto Rico, so its prices affect the well-being of most households in the country.

The San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas MSA, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is comprised of 40 municipalities. Of these municipalities, 15 meet the characteristics for price collection according to the established methodology. These are: Bayamón, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cataño, Cidra, Dorado, Gurabo, Guaynabo, Rio Grande, San Juan, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto and Vega Alta.

General MSA Indicators

Below are the overall results of the 6 categories considered for COLI.

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“The fact that the residential electricity rate in Puerto Rico is 90.5% higher than the average of the urban areas participating in the COLI shows a structural distortion in the energy system. This situation directly makes the daily lives of households more expensive and reduces their financial room for maneuver. Combined with the increase in the cost of food, this translates into a clear deterioration in the standard of living of citizens,” explained Dr. Ronald G. Hernández Maldonado, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

“The composite index reflects very high costs in public services and food, partially offset by relatively low prices in health care, transportation and other miscellaneous goods,” Hernández said.

The COLI, developed since 1968 by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), measures quarterly the relative cost of living in participating urban areas of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute offers an interactive calculator to compare the cost of living between the San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas MSA and other participating cities: https://apps.estadisticas.pr/coli/.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico. April 9, 2025 — Faced with growing public interest in issues related to international trade and tariffs, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute reminded citizens that, on its official website, www.estadisticas.pr, the “External Trade Interface” tool is available, where they can access official data on imports and exports of goods in Puerto Rico.

The Foreign Trade section of the portal contains monthly statistics on the value and volume of goods entering and leaving the jurisdiction. This information allows us to know what products Puerto Rico exports, to which countries they are going and, in turn, which products are imported and from which countries they come. This data is useful for identifying business opportunities abroad, as well as within Puerto Rico. In addition, they are an important input for the preparation of Puerto Rico's Gross Domestic Product statistics.

“At a time when issues of international trade and tariffs are an active part of the public conversation, it is essential that citizens have access to official and reliable information that allows them to carry out adequate analyses and make informed decisions,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

The statistics are collected and processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection And the U.S. Census Bureau, using customs and export declaration forms that are completed when importing or exporting goods. The Institute downloads, processes, transforms and organizes data so that information is available exclusively for Puerto Rico with its business partners.

As part of his commitment to statistical education, Dr. Ronald Hernández, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute, indicated that those interested in learning more about this tool can access a Webinar free of charge that explains in detail how to access, interpret and use foreign trade data. The video is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/2yuAh9X6qK4.

The Foreign Trade section allows you to filter the search and download of data since July 2002, according to different classifications used in economic analysis and international trade. These classifications include HTS systems and Schedule B, aimed at the classification of goods, including their tariff component; the SITC, used for the comparative analysis of trade by type of product; and the NAICS, which allows aggregation by sector or industry of origin or destination.

To access the External Trade Interface, you can visit www.estadisticas.pr and access the Foreign Trade section under the “Applications” tab. For the best experience, we recommend that you use the Firefox browser.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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PRESS RELEASE

PUERTO RICO STATE DATA CENTER NETWORK (SDC-PR)

New York was not among the main destinations for emigrants

This is indicated in the most recent Migrant Profile 2018-2019

San Juan, PR, June 1, 2021 — During the calendar year 2019, data from the Community Survey for the first time (in 15 years) indicate that the state of New York was not among the top five destinations for emigrants who left Puerto Rico, a characteristic that used to be a constant of emigration from Puerto Rico. This was revealed in the 2018-2019 Migrant Profile, which was published today by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, and which presents an overview of the migratory movement in Puerto Rico in the calendar year 2018 and 2019. In fact, New York did not rank among the top 10 destination states either, dropping to the eleventh position. Here are several key findings:

1. In 2018, Puerto Rico's migration indicators showed that:
   • 133,000 people immigrated to United States states, increasing the previous year's mark based on the Community Survey
   • 113,000 people migrated to United States states in net terms, a new mark compared to information from the Community Survey
   • 40,000 people immigrated to U.S. states with some post-secondary education in net terms, according to the Community Survey
   • 89,000 air passengers from all destinations to Puerto Rico in net terms according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
2. The five states with the highest emigration from Puerto Rico in 2018 were Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.
3. In 2018, 36% of emigrants and 53% of immigrants lived in poverty, according to data from the Community Survey.

4. In 2019, Puerto Rico's migration indicators reflected that:
   • 66,000 people immigrated to United States states, reducing the record of Community Survey data from the previous year (2018)
   • 35,000 people immigrated to United States states in net terms, the lowest figure since 2010 compared to information from the Community Survey
   • 13,000 people immigrated to U.S. states with some post-secondary education in net terms according to the Community Survey
   • 10,000 air passengers from Puerto Rico to all destinations in net terms according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
5. The five states with the highest emigration from Puerto Rico in 2019 were Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
6. By 2019, 30% of emigrants and 42% of immigrants were living in poverty, according to data from the Community Survey.
7. During the year 2018 to 2019, the median income of immigrants from Puerto Rico (residing in the United States) increased from $15,239 to $16,976, which was about 11% higher in 2019.
8. The migratory trend was strengthened, in the decade (2010-2019), in net terms:
   • 607,000 people migrated to the states, according to the Community Survey
   • 655,000 air passengers departed from Puerto Rico to all destinations according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
9. Among the specific occupations:
   • In 2018, it was estimated that 3,156 (+/- 1,638) emigrants were employed as retailers, 2,842 (+/- 1,305) were employed as teachers and tutors, and 2,769 (+/- 1,177) were employed as cashiers.
   • In 2019, it was estimated that some 1,727 (+/-1,030) emigrants were employed as cashiers and 900 (+/- 497) employed as teachers and tutors.

“The new publication shows the increase in the emigration movement in 2018, where estimates suggest that about 3% of the population moved from residence to outside of Puerto Rico. In terms of migratory destinations, New York did not rank, for the first time, among the top ten destination states in 2019. The change requires follow-up with new data, as they are published, to examine whether this trait will be the beginning of a change in the geographical trend of emigration from Puerto Rico, where other states in the southern and eastern regions of the United States will now continue to be those with the highest movement of migrants.” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

See more details and information about the 2018-2019 Migrant Profile, as well as previous publications, in the Publications section of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics through the following link: Publications.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access. In addition, as the leading entity of the Puerto Rico SDC, the Institute manages the Puerto Rico State Data Center (SDC) page, which contains products containing data and census information from U.S. Census Bureau about Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand. The Puerto Rico SDC website can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/.

For more information you can visit our website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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For questions:

https://preguntas.estadisticas.pr/

e-mail: alberto.velazquez@estadisticas.pr

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