They facilitate access to data on femicides in Puerto Rico
Forty feminicides were reported in Puerto Rico between 2021 and 2022
April 26, 2023. San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute), through its Platform for Statistics and Indicators on Gender Violence, created a new section entitled “Femicide Statistics”, in order to facilitate access to data that allows, among others, the development of better strategies in the fight against violence against women. This was announced by the executive director of the Institute, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, who indicated that “this tool will allow greater visibility of statistics on femicide in Puerto Rico, as well as frequent and direct updates of the data.” This new section, like the other sections related to statistics on gender-based violence, is available at: Statistics on Gender-based Violence in Puerto Rico.
According to Mariluz Bezares, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute and Coordinator of the Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System (PRVDRS), 23 femicides were registered in Puerto Rico in 2021 and 17 femicides were registered in 2022, for a total of 40. In 2021, six (6) of every 10 homicides of women were femicides and in 2022, three (3) of every 10 homicides of women were femicides.
Other data that emerges from this new tool include:
Victims of femicide by firearms
In 2021, 61% of intimate femicides were with firearms.
In 2022, 77% of intimate femicides were with firearms.
Intimate femicides by age group
In 2021, 61% of intimate femicides occurred among women aged 25 to 44.
In 2022, 54% of intimate femicides occurred among women aged 45 to 64.
Nine (9) is the total number of femicides between 2021 and 2022 where the aggressor committed suicide after killing the victim.
Of these, eight (8) were in the context of intimate femicide and one (1) was in the context of family femicide.
As of March of this year 2023, a total of four (4) cases of femicide have been registered.
Of every 100,000 women living in Puerto Rico, two (2) died as a result of homicide.
Violent deaths of women:
In 2021, there were 67 violent deaths of women and one (1) death of a trans person.
In 2022, 84 violent deaths of women were recorded.
In 2022, 63% of women's violent deaths were due to homicide, and 36% were due to suicide.
In 2022, there was one (1) undetermined violent death.
In 2021, there was one (1) homicide of a trans man that is not related to gender reasons.
In 2021, 50% of homicides of women were between the ages of 25 and 44.
In 2022, 53% of female homicides occurred among women between 25 and 44 years old.
“At the Institute, we remain committed and are determined to explore all possible options and use innovative technology to support efforts to combat gender-based violence in Puerto Rico. It is essential to have accurate and up-to-date information on gender-based violence to design effective public policies that protect women and promote gender inclusion and equity in our society. “, said Disdier.
The data collected and presented by the Institute arise in part as a result of collaboration with various entities, including the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the Institute of Forensic Sciences and the Demographic Registry of the Department of Health.
The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is a governmental entity in the executive branch, with fiscal and administrative autonomy, whose main purpose is to ensure that Puerto Rico has complete, reliable statistics that are quickly and universally accessible. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.
San Juan, Puerto Rico — November 6, 2025 — The Institute of Statistics released the results of the Backwater Index for Puerto Rico, a study that offers a comprehensive look at the social and economic situation of Puerto Rico's municipalities. This index constitutes an analysis and planning tool that seeks to promote dialogue, reflection and informed action for the benefit of Puerto Rico's socioeconomic development.
El Lagging Index measures a multidimensional phenomenon using a summary data that allows us to compare the relative performance of municipalities in two dimensions: Economic Mobility and Demography. Five main variables were considered in its design: the percentage of people below the poverty level, the unemployment rate, the percentage of high school graduates (in a population aged 18 and over), the dependency rate by age and the median age.
The index was calculated for two comparative periods: 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, allowing us to observe changes in scores and relative positions of municipalities over time. Index values fluctuate between 0 and 1, with a higher score representing a higher relative level of lagging.
The analysis reveals that 42 municipalities showed a decrease in their score of the Lagging Index, which suggests a relative improvement in the conditions measured by the indicator. Of these, 22 municipalities registered a reduction of more than 5%. In the same way, there are concentrations of municipalities with higher scores —indicating greater relative lagging— in the center, south, southwest and southeast regions of Puerto Rico, while several municipalities in the metropolitan area and adjacent to it showed progress compared to the rest of the archipelago.
The municipalities of Culebra, Toa Alta, Gurabo, Juncos, Dorado, Trujillo Alto, Santa Isabel, Canóvanas, Toa Baja and Las Piedras performed better in their relative index in the last period analyzed (2019-2023). However, the Institute stresses that the index is a relative measure and not an absolute measure, so the results must be analyzed within the context and used as a basis for the development of more specific analyses.
“The value of the index is not in pointing out which municipality is better or worse, but in providing an objective basis for analysis, planning and decision-making. It is an opportunity for mayors and officials who participate in decision-making to know their social and economic reality and to develop strategies that respond to the specific needs of their municipalities,” said Dr. Ronald Hernández, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico.
For the elaboration of the Lagging Index, the Institute applied rigorous statistical methods —including exploratory factor analysis, normalization and aggregation of variables—using data from the five-year estimates of the Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau And the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Data
Table 1 shows the results of the Lagging Index at the municipal level for the periods 2014 - 2018 and 2019 - 2023. The table is ordered according to the position of the municipalities based on their index value for the period 2019 — 2023. The higher the index score, the worse or less favorable the outcome of the phenomenon.
Table 1: Lagging Index Results
According to Dr. Hernández, the results of the study highlight the need to design comprehensive public policies that address both the economic aspects and the demographic transformations of Puerto Rico. “The improvements seen in several municipalities are encouraging, but it is essential that socio-economic development efforts are integrated with strategies to respond to the ongoing demographic transition. This includes strengthening geriatric health services, care policies, retention of young people and urban planning adapted to long-lived communities,” said the Institute.”
Hernández indicated that, the Municipal Backwater Index seeks to promote an evidence-based dialogue between the different sectors of Puerto Rico. Its purpose is to serve as a planning and evaluation instrument, which facilitates the identification of areas of opportunity and guides investment decisions, municipal planning and public policy at the central and local levels.”
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.
Statistics Institute calls for the opening of information on the economic incentives that the Government negotiates with private companies on Civic Hacker Day
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