‍PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute asks government agencies

information stipulated by law

Statistical information was requested from 38 government agencies

San Juan, PR, August 5, 2020 — The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) reported that it recently requested in writing from 38 government agencies specific statistical information, as established in multiple laws in Puerto Rico. The initiative aims to ensure compliance with Article 13 of the Institute's Organic Law, Act No. 209 of August 28, 2003, as amended, which provides that all government agencies have the obligation to regularly and constantly send to the Institute any publication of statistical products they produce, in order to be incorporated into the Inventory of Statistics and to make them available to all citizens.

The Inventory of Statistics, specified by Article 5 (f) of the Institute's Organic Law, is where most of the statistical information collected by the Institute is kept and made available to the public, and is located online at: Inventory-of-statistics. It is the main source for those looking for official statistical information that describes, estimates or analyzes the characteristics of Puerto Rico and its society. The Inventory contains all important statistical activities carried out or planned to be carried out by government agencies, as well as information on how to obtain statistical reports for Puerto Rico that are prepared by government agencies and public corporations in Puerto Rico, municipalities and any other jurisdiction in the United States. Statistical reports from the private sector are also included in the Inventory.

The deadline given to agencies to respond is 20 calendar days, but agencies can request an extension, particularly if they receive multiple requests for statistical information. This is the case of agencies to which numerous laws that specify the generation of statistical information that is of great legislative interest apply, such as the Department of Education, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety. However, most of the government agencies contacted will receive few requests for statistical information and are not considered less important by the Institute. It should be noted that the Institute has tried to make the process for submitting the requested statistical products as efficient as possible, making it one that can be carried out completely online.

“We urge all government agencies contacted to provide the requested statistical information. The collaboration of government agencies will help the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute expand and keep its Statistics Inventory up to date. In addition, since these are statistical products specified by legal provisions, the information requested is particularly relevant to the decision-making processes of the Government of Puerto Rico,” said Jacobo M. Orenstein-Cardona, special assistant to the Institute's executive director and coordinator of this initiative.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity tasked with 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 accessible quickly and universally.

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

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Population aged 60 and over exceeds that under 20 years of age

PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute Publishes Map on Response to the 2020 Census in Puerto Rico

The geographical visualization allows us to see the progress of the response to the Census in municipalities

San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 1, 2020 — The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) reported that they have made available a geographical visualization of the state of self-response to the 2020 Census in the municipalities of Puerto Rico. The visualization shows the different levels of response at the municipal level depending on the questionnaires completed and already received by the Federal Census Bureau. The tool allows you to easily compare the places where the response has been highest or lowest. More importantly, the visualization is updated several times each week, so it serves to monitor the progress of the response to the 2020 Census across Puerto Rico.

The visualization is nourished by self-response data reported periodically in the Federal Census Bureau's main visualization tool. However, since Puerto Rico has a different type of enumeration than other jurisdictions (updating and handing over the questionnaire to every household), the response rate has been different given the COVID-19 scenario. Therefore, at the moment, response values in Puerto Rico cannot be properly differentiated within the categories established in the visualization of the Federal Census. It is for this reason, and in order to be able to compare the progress of the 2020 Census response across Puerto Rico in an appropriate way, that the Institute prepared the geographical visualization available at: censo.estadisticas.pr, which is adjusted based on the values in the municipalities.

At the same time, municipal information of reference and interest was added to this interactive visualization. For example, position compared to other municipalities according to their percentage of self-response, estimated total housing units and percentage of occupied housing. The tool provides motivation, since residents of a municipality with a low response can become aware of this aspect, motivate themselves to do their part and at the same time motivate others to increase the percentage of their respective municipality.

“Field operations are temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 situation. In the case of Puerto Rico, enumerators will continue to deliver questionnaire packages to homes as soon as fieldwork resumes. We call on everyone to respond to the 2020 Census as soon as they receive the invitation. Whether you receive the invitation by post or subsequently by hand delivery to homes, the option to reply via the internet (https://2020census.gov/es.html) allows us to respond safely and quickly,” said Alberto L. Velázquez Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects.

Census data plays a role in everyday life, as it helps to make decisions about the financing of services and infrastructure in the community, including health care, centers for the elderly, jobs, roads, schools, businesses and political representation. Therefore, they serve as a guide so that communities can obtain the fair funds they need, as well as to support companies to make decisions based on data that encourage the economy. Let's make sure we're all counted!

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity tasked with 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 accessible quickly and universally. 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 about 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 the website: https://estadisticas.pr.gov/. In addition, you can follow the Institute on social networks, through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Press Contact:

Idia Martinez 787-603-3200

imartinez@upfrontpr.net

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