PRESS RELEASE

RED STATE DATA CENTER OF PUERTO RICO

December 6, 2018

THREE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE 70% OR MORE OF THEIR HOMES WITH INTERNET ACCESS

San Juan, PR — El U.S. Census Bureau released today the most recent data from the Puerto Rico Community Survey known as Puerto Rico Community Survey at the municipal level. These statistics refer to information collected from 2013 to 2017, a period of 5 years. The new publication provides data on social, economic and housing characteristics for Puerto Rico and municipalities, as well as for specific geographical levels such as neighborhoods, census tracts and block groups. As the leading entity of the Network State Data Center Of U.S. Census Bureau in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) presents this summary with several interesting results:

1. During the 5-year period (2013-2017), Guaynabo, Carolina and Gurabo were found to have the highest percentage of households (70%-71%), with internet connection, among all municipalities. With 60% to 69% of households with internet access, the municipalities of Juana Diaz and Villalba stand out outside the metropolitan area and east of Puerto Rico. On the other hand, some 38 municipalities had less than 50% of their homes with internet connection, mostly municipalities in the central and southwestern areas. In Puerto Rico, estimates indicate that about 54% of households had internet access.

2. As for households with one or more computer devices (laptop, desktop, tablets), the geographical distribution indicates that the highest percentages (60%-78%) are concentrated in the metropolitan area and coastal municipalities from Dorado, in the northeastern area, and to Humacao in the east. It is worth highlighting several municipalities with the same characteristics such as Aguadilla, Moca, Añasco, Mayagüez and Hormigueros in the west as well as Morovis, Jayuya, Villalba in the center. For Puerto Rico, it is estimated that about 62% of households had a computer device.

3. As for the median family income, comparing the two five-year periods (2008-12 vs. 2013-17), at the level of Puerto Rico it showed a reduction of -2.5% from $24,398 to $23,793.

At the municipal level:

• In 44 municipalities, there was a decrease in the median family income, and in 13 of these municipalities the change was statistically significant, with a confidence level of 90%.
• The 6 municipalities that showed the highest decrease according to the percentage change in family income were: Adjuntas, Guánica, Cidra, Loíza, Guayama and Ceiba.
• On the other hand, the 6 municipalities that showed the highest increase according to the percentage change in family income were: Culebra, Villalba, Morovis, Barceloneta, Vega Baja and Coamo. Of all these, Culebra appears to be the municipality with the greatest change, but its difference is not statistically significant.

As highlighted by Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Acting Executive Director of the Institute, in this new report the U.S. Census Bureau data are integrated on the use of computers and internet in homes in Puerto Rico, by municipality. “This is the first time, since this information began to be collected in the Survey in 2013, that we can know the estimates at a more detailed geographical level, as are all municipalities.”

For his part, Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute, added: “Information related to internet access and computers expands the areas of research and analysis. For example, looking at the geographical pattern of fewer homes with computers and internet access in municipalities in the southwestern area of Puerto Rico, it alerts us to a possible association between the elderly population and computer and internet access. On the other hand, the reduction in family income at the Puerto Rico level translates to about $600 less during the most recent five-year period 2013-2017 compared to the previous 2008-2012. In other words, during the most recent period, there was less money in the family nucleus, complicating the socio-economic scenario faced by most families and their members in Puerto Rico.”

More statistics on the Community Survey estimates can be obtained at: http://factfinder2.census.gov/. If you need assistance using this tool to obtain data, you may find the self-study guide for using this available tool useful: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/fact-finder . Information on the methodology used to produce the estimates can be accessed hither.

In addition, as the leading entity of the Puerto Rico SDC, the IEPR manages the SDC portal, where you can find the main statistical reports and publications of the U.S. Census Bureau on Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand, such as annual population estimates; the Puerto Rico Community Survey (Puerto Rico Community Survey) and official statistics on Puerto Rico's 10-year population and housing censuses, among others. The Puerto Rico SDC portal can be accessed through: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/.

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. The Institute has in its inventory, accessible through www.estadisticas.pr.gov, over 300 statistical products. In addition, it is a custodian and provides access to over 100 data sets or “data sets” through www.data.pr.gov and to over 40 tables and more than 6 thousand indicators through: www.indicadores.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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Press Contact: Sandra Morales Blanes (787) 688-0401

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Conference on the 2020 Census, process, importance and purpose of data

Free admission to Caguas on Thursday, February 27, 2020

Make Puerto Rico count! is an initiative of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics to publicize, through an entire day of conferences, the processes of the Decennial Census that is being carried out during this year 2020, the methodology, the importance and the purpose of the data. This will take place on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at the Criollo Center for Caribbean Science and Technology in Caguas from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free and includes lunch and poster presentation.

“The census is much more than just a count of people. It provides us with an image of our society that is useful and necessary in decision-making, in effective planning and in the distribution of funds, among other actions. In addition, it helps us to see how our communities have changed over time,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

With the participation of census data experts and key field operations personnel from the U.S. Census Bureau, topics related to the census operation and the importance of official population enumeration will be presented, which is considered a unique opportunity in every decade. The topics to be presented are: Decennial censuses and aspects to consider in the current demography of Puerto Rico, by Dr. Judith Rodriguez, former professor of the Graduate Program in Demography of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico; Census Operation 2020, by Jeff Behler, director of the New York Regional Office (NYRO) of the U.S. Census Bureau; The Complete Enumeration Committees in Puerto Rico, by Giselle Laffitte, partnership specialist (NYRO) of the U.S. Census Bureau; and Visualization of census data, by the Mr. Gerson Vázquez from Data Viz CMLSO Specialist.

In the same way, the activity will present the panel: Use and relevance of census data for public policy and research, with the participation of Dr. María E. Enchautegui Román from the Youth Development Institute, Dr. Viviana De Jesús Monge from the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras campus and Medical Sciences campus, demographer Raúl Figueroa, and planner Yoel Velázquez from Albizu University.

“During the past decade, Puerto Rico experienced a variety of economic, social and natural situations, whose impact and consequences will undoubtedly be reflected in this 2020 Census. This is why it is important to educate ourselves on this topic, so that, when the time comes, an informed analysis of the results can be made. At the Institute, we are 100% committed to the work of the Census,” said the Acting Executive Director of the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico, Dr. Orville M. Disdier.

Those interested in participating must register at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haz-que-cuentes-puerto-rico-censo-2020-tickets-76454612805

To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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PRESS RELEASE
DR. MARIO MARAZZI‐SANTIAGO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

May 24, 2018

The Puerto Rico Violent Death Surveillance System developed by the Institute is recognized as the best new program by the Division of Violence Prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

San Juan, PR, May 24, 2018 — The Puerto Rico Violent Death Surveillance System (PRVDRS, in English) developed and established by the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute), thanks to a proposal approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been recognized as the best of the new programs established by the Division of Violence Prevention of this entity.

This was announced by the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Mario Marazzi-Santiago, who said he was pleased with the recognition and extraordinary work of the team in charge of the Institute, led by Dr. Idania Rodríguez Ayuso, the Institute's senior manager of Statistical Projects, and Dr. Diego E. Zavala, co-researcher of the project. “This important recognition demonstrates that statistical information can be collected in an agile, timely and systematic manner by government entities in Puerto Rico and that it complies with federal requirements. We are grateful for this recognition, which has been the result of the efforts of a committed and excellent work team. We are also grateful for the collaboration of the Demographic Registry of the Department of Health, the Puerto Rico Police and the Forensic Science Bureau, which, with the provision of the necessary data for its operation, are also part of this important achievement,” said Dr. Marazzi-Santiago.

The PRVDRS is an active, continuous epidemiological surveillance system that collects information on violent deaths. It uses multiple sources of data and incorporates them into a single database, using the ecological model of public health. It began in September 2016 and began collecting data on violent deaths starting in January 2017. The proposal, funded by the CDC, lasts 5 years.

Data is collected in a systematic way to be a single reference base with complete and accurate data. They are obtained from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the Forensic Science Bureau and the Department of Health's Demographic Registry. The system seeks to achieve standardization using specific definitions and providing comprehensive information on the context in which deaths occur. This will help identify risk factors (e.g. job loss, mental health problems, family problems and other stressors).

The PRVDRS will also provide data related to the magnitude of violence and trends at different geographical levels. All of this will be essential to support the monitoring and evaluation of violence prevention programs and strategies in Puerto Rico. The PRVDRS has an Advisory Board and a Review Group. The latter discusses the discrepancies found in data collection. In addition, it is part of the Institute and currently has three employees assigned to it and a total of 12 people in total working on the project.

Based on data from the Bureau of Forensic Sciences, the homicide rate in Puerto Rico in 2014 was 20.11 per 100,000 inhabitants, four times higher than the equivalent rate for the United States (4.8). The latest data available for the United States is from 2014 and is based on information provided by 18 states, representing 22.5% of the United States population. For more information about the CDC's NVDRS you can access the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nvdrs/stateprofiles.html

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. The Institute has in its inventory, accessible through https://estadisticas.pr.gov, about 300 statistical products. In addition, it is a custodian and provides access to over 100 data sets or “data sets” through https://data.pr.gov and to over 40 tables and more than 6 thousand indicators through: https://www.indicadores.pr.

In addition, as the leading entity of the SDC in Puerto Rico, the Institute manages the SDC portal, which contains the main statistical reports and publications of the U.S. Census Bureau on Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand, such as annual population estimates; the Puerto Rico Community Survey (Puerto Rico Community Survey) and official statistics on Puerto Rico's 10-year population and housing censuses, among others. The Puerto Rico SDC portal can be accessed through: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/.

For more information you can visit our website: https://estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on social networks through Facebook accounts (https://www.facebook.com/estadisticas.pr), Twitter (https://twitter.com/estadisticaspr) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/instituto-de-estadisticas-de-puerto-rico).

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Contact: Sandra Morales Blanes (787) 688-0401

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