Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics to present new data on migration
In a specialized webinar today, April 30, 2026
At a time when migration continues to influence Puerto Rico's economy, demography and public planning, the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics announced the holding of the webinar ”2023—2024 Migrant Profile”, which will present the most recent findings on population movements between Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States.
The event will be held this Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in virtual mode, and will offer an updated analysis of changes in migratory patterns, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of people who migrate and return to Puerto Rico. The activity is free of charge but requires registration at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2574211161276128093.
The session will be led by Alberto L. VelázquezEstrada, Senior Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute, who will present data on variables such as age, educational level, income and mobility trends. In addition, essential methodological aspects for the study of migration will be discussed both in Puerto Rico and in other jurisdictions of the United States.
The analysis is based on statistical products such as the Migrant Profile, which integrate information from official sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau Community Survey, and other population mobility metrics.
Velázquez highlighted that this type of analysis is key to understanding the impact of migration in areas such as the labor market, government planning and economic development, as well as for guiding decision-making based on data. “This webinar is part of the Institute's Academies and Workshops program, an initiative that seeks to strengthen access and use of reliable statistics among professionals, researchers, students and the general public,” said Velázquez.
To learn more about the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, you can access www.estadisticas.pr.gov or follow their social networks: Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico).
The percentage of people with a high school level or higher in Puerto Rico increases
Comparison of the periods 2010-2014 and 2015-2019, indicates that 69 municipalities reflected an increase in this characteristic
San Juan, PR, December 10, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released the most recent data from the Puerto Rico Community Survey known as the Puerto Rico Community Survey. These statistics refer to information collected over a period of 5 years, from 2015 to 2019. The new publication provides data on demographic, 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 part of the State Data Center Network of the U.S. Census Bureau in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) presents several interesting results:
In a comparison of the previous five-year period 2010-2014, compared to the most recent period 2015-2019, estimates indicate that:
In Puerto Rico's population aged 25 and over, the percentage of people with a high school education degree or higher increased from 23.6% to 25.9%, this difference being statistically significant.
At the municipal level, some 69 municipalities showed a similar increase in the number of people with at least a high school degree.
In 24 of the 69 municipalities, the differences were statistically significant.
The municipality of Ceiba showed no change (18.1%) during both periods.
On the other hand, the municipalities of Maricao, Juncos, Aguada, Arroyo, Cataño, Sabana Grande, Patillas and Maunabo showed a decrease in this characteristic within the educational level achieved. The difference between the municipality of Juncos was the only statistically significant difference.
In addition, at the level of Puerto Rico during the period 2015-2019, among the social characteristics it was estimated that:
85,573 grandparents live with their grandchildren, of whom 38.6% are responsible for them.
Of the households in Puerto Rico (1,192,654), the following types are broken down:
37.8% are from families of married couples,
8.5% are from couples who live together,
in 16.3% of households, men are heads of household without a wife/partner (or) present, and of these 11.8% live alone,
and in 37.3% of households women are heads of household without a husband/partner (or) present, and of these 16.3% live alone.
Regarding the presence of computers and Internet access, 68.6% and 60.4% of households in Puerto Rico have a computer and a broadband Internet subscription, respectively.
“The comparison of the percentage of people with education, at least at the high school level, shows that most municipalities increased that percentage in the most recent period. However, the considerable differences between municipalities with this characteristic are striking, ranging from 8% in Maricao to 45% in Guaynabo.”, said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.
Tables with interesting characteristics can be accessed in the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination tool data.census.gov. In addition, as the leading entity of Puerto Rico's SDC, 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 and official statistics on Puerto Rico's decennial population and housing censuses, among others. The Puerto Rico SDC portal can be accessed through: 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.
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.
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.
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