Office of the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs joins the Financial Transparency System to be accountable for its income and expenses

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PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Results from the first food safety study in Puerto Rico presented

Under the name Puerto Rico Food Security Survey 2015, and in collaboration with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance, BRFSS) administered in Puerto Rico by the Department of Health, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) presented the results of the first study on this topic to be carried out in Puerto Rico. The BRFSS is a continuous epidemiological surveillance system that is carried out in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and its jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico. The study population was adults aged 18 and over and the response rate in Puerto Rico was 71.1%, placing us among the top 25 jurisdictions with the highest participation. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, food insecurity is a key factor that complements the undernourishment indicator and makes it possible to improve the characterization of hunger.

“The large amount of food imported into Puerto Rico, among other aspects, makes the population more vulnerable to food insecurity. This is why it is essential to know the statistics related to this aspect, as well as the risk behaviors, morbidities and health practices of vulnerable populations,” said the Institute's acting executive director, Dr. Orville M. Disdier.

From the most relevant data from this study, it is estimated that 33% of the population aged 18 and over in Puerto Rico were food insecure. Similarly, 21.7% of the people interviewed indicated that, in the 12 months before the study, there were times when they had to serve themselves less food or stop eating one of their daily meals due to lack of money. A quarter of these (25.8%) did so almost every month.

The study also revealed, among others, that the Arecibo region had the highest percentage of food insecurity with 40.6%, while the metropolitan area and Ponce were the regions with the lowest food insecurity with 31.8% and 31.4% respectively. 44.3% of food-insecure people perceived their health as regular or poor. This percentage was higher in women (47.6%) compared to men (38.7%). People diagnosed with a depressive disorder were 2.7 times more likely to belong to the food-insecure group than people who had not been diagnosed with a depressive disorder.

“One of the most revealing results is related to poverty and its impact on food insecurity. The study concluded that people with an income of less than $25,000 are 3.3 times more likely to belong to the food insecure group than people with an income of $25,000 or more,” said Myribel Santiago, Project Manager of the Institute and lead author of the study.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous entity, created by Act No. 209 of August 28, 2003, as amended, in order to promote changes in the systems for the collection and analysis of the information that is generated, so that it is complete, reliable and has quick and universal access. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is responsible for establishing criteria and standards for the collection and analysis of information from government agencies, and for supporting those private sectors that are interested in demonstrating and giving public evidence of the objectivity of statistical data. To access the study you can visit Publications.

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Contact: Lourdes Burgos, R-27

lburgos@upfrontpr.net 787-562-2932

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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.

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