PRESS RELEASE September 13, 2018

RED STATE DATA CENTER OF PUERTO RICO

97,000 PEOPLE IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 2017

The figure includes only a few of the people who migrated after Hurricane Maria.

San Juan, PR — El U.S. Census Bureau published today the most recent estimates of the Puerto Rico Community Survey known as Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). These statistics refer to information collected during the 2017 calendar year and include social, economic and housing characteristics for Puerto Rico and municipalities with a population of 65,000 people or more. 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 brief summary of several findings from this disclosure:

1. During 2017, 97,000 people moved from Puerto Rico to the United States, while 20,000 people moved in the opposite direction, resulting in a net migratory movement of -77,000 people. Since the PRCS began to be carried out in 2005, this migratory movement, both in absolute and in net terms, represents the highest. These data will be described in greater depth in the Institute's 2017 Migrant Profile, which will be published in the coming months.
2. The median household income in Puerto Rico decreased by 3.7% between 2016 ($20,078) and 2017 ($19,343). Household income categories showed that 60% of households had incomes under $25,000. Of these, nearly half (29%) had incomes of less than $10,000.
3. In 2017, 44% of people and 41% of families were below the poverty level. In families where women are heads of household without a husband present, the percentage was 59%.
4. Puerto Rico had a GINI index of 0.55, ranking as the jurisdiction with the highest inequality in income distribution compared to other jurisdictions in the United States. The GINI index measures inequality, where a value of 0 is a perfect distribution of income and a value of 1 is a completely unequal distribution.

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“Although again in 2017 emigration broke records in the Community Survey, this was to be expected after the passage of Hurricane Maria. On the other hand, when analyzing these figures, it is important to recognize that the Community Survey is not designed to adequately capture the population displacement that can occur rapidly and volcanically following a natural disaster. As a result, we warned that these numbers only include some of the people who moved in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Many other people who may have moved temporarily or permanently are not captured in this Survey, either because they moved to other foreign countries, relocated to temporary housing where the Survey questionnaire does not arrive, or are even staying in the homes of family members who were living in the United States before 2017, among other possible reasons. In that sense, it will be necessary to wait to see the results of the Survey for 2018 to have a more complete picture of post-Maria migration,” explained Dr. Mario Marazzi-Santiago, executive director of the Institute.

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. More details on the characteristics of migrants between Puerto Rico and the United States 2017 will be available at the end of 2018 in the publication of the 2017 Migrant Profile. The Migrant Profile is an annual publication published by the Institute. To view the published Profiles press 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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PRESS RELEASE

Puerto Rico Statistics Institute Urges Secretary of Health to Provide Data on Covid-19 on the Island

April 8, 2020: In view of the non-compliance with the submission of data on COVID-19 in Puerto Rico and in accordance with Act No. 209-2003, as amended, known as the Statistics Institute Act, the executive director of that entity, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, made a formal request to the Secretary of the Department of Health (DS), Dr. Lorenzo González Feliciano, to provide the necessary data. “Although the Institute's Information Requirements Regulations state that, in response to an Official Information Request, the agency has up to 20 days to provide it, we ask the DS to do so immediately, as this is a matter of the highest priority, given the likelihood that infections and deaths will continue to increase in Puerto Rico,” said Disdier.

The Law that created the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) states that its purpose is to promote changes in data collection and statistics systems so that they are complete, reliable and accessible quickly and universally. To this end, the Institute has the primary mission of coordinating the Statistics Production Service of the Government of Puerto Rico, of requesting information, both from the public and private sectors, and of developing the policy for the development of the public statistical function. According to Disdier, although most agencies comply with this, unfortunately there are others that do not do their duty.

“Since long before this COVID-19 emergency began, the Institute has been communicating, through official email and phone calls, with the Department of Health to offer collaboration and request that they provide us with detailed data on cases of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico. In addition, we have held communications and meetings with staff from Fortaleza and with some members of the Task Force that advises the governor on this pandemic. They repeatedly state that they will provide the data, but the reality is that they arrive late, incomplete, in inadequate formats or there are days when they simply don't arrive,” he said.

Specifically, the Institute has requested the following information and detailed data, for each individual being tested for COVID-19 in Puerto Rico: Case number (Unique ID), sex (M, F, or other), region of residence, municipality of residence, age (in years), test results for COVID-19 (positive, negative, pending, undetermined, or other), date of onset of symptoms (day and month), date of sample collection or date of submission of the sample (day and month), and if the person died.

Disdier highlighted that, in order to promote greater collaboration, the Institute served as a facilitator and for a few days now, the project to implement a rapid system for the daily collection of data on COVID-19 in hospitals has been successfully completed. As a result, every day the Department of Health receives data from hospitals, in a fast, simple and standardized way.

“It is now up to the Department of Health to share the revised and official data with the Institute. That is, right now we should be receiving these official data on a daily basis and that is not happening. These data are necessary so that the Institute can keep citizens informed and to develop action plans that make it feasible to control this pandemic,” concluded Disdier.

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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Contacts:

Idia M. Martinez, R-28, 787-603-3200

Lourdes Burgos, R-27, 787-562-2932

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Urge to strengthen communication on AH1N1 influenza statistics