96% of municipalities in Puerto Rico have a population decrease

This is indicated by the estimates for the year 2023 of U.S. Census Bureau

(Approved by the Office of the Electoral Commissioner: OCE-SA-2024-05533)

San Juan, PR, March 18, 2024 — The U.S. Census Bureau released the most recent Annual Population Estimates data for municipalities in Puerto Rico, as well as for counties in the United States. These statistics refer to July 1, 2023 and include estimates of the total population for each municipality and the population change in the current decade. On behalf of the U.S. Census Bureau's Network of Data and Census Information Centers (SDC-PR) in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) reported several findings from the new publication of population estimates for 2023:

1. Compared to the 2020 Decennial Census with a reference date of April 1, 2020, compared to the most recent year available, July 1, 2023, estimates indicate that:
   • Changes in the population of residents in municipalities ranged from 1.6% to -10.0%.
   • In 96% of the municipalities, a population decrease was estimated. Meanwhile, in the municipalities of Rincón, Naranjito and Barranquitas, a slight increase (0.1% - 1.6%) was estimated.
   • Some seven municipalities reflected an estimated reduction equal to or greater than five percent (5%) within the comparative period.
   • The total population of all of Puerto Rico is estimated to have fallen by 2.4 percent, translating to nearly 80,000 fewer residents than in April 2020.

2. With regard to the geographical dimension between municipalities, on the estimated change in the total population up to the year 2023, The interactive map provides the geographical distribution.

In this map it can be identified that:

• • The seven municipalities with the highest percentage of population decline were Guánica (-10.0%), Loíza (-5.9%), Guayanilla (-5.5%), Ponce (-5.3%), Yauco (-5.2%), Guayama (-5.0%) and Yabucoa (-5.0%).
    • Five of the seven municipalities are located in southern Puerto Rico, Loíza and Yabucoa in the Northeast and Eastern regions respectively.
  • The seven municipalities with the lowest percentage of population decline were Aibonito (-0.1%), Isabela (-0.3%), Moca (-0.4%, Dorado (-0.5%), Corozal (-0.6%), Camuy (-0.6%) and Adjuntas (-0.7%).

“The general trend of population decline continues in municipalities, an aspect that began in the jurisdiction for nearly two decades (2005). The phenomenon of reduction is more cautious in several municipalities where the rate is indicated to be five percent or more in just three years of this decade, according to new estimates,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Senior Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

As an interactive summary, the Institute published a visualization that allows us to see the new series of estimates at the municipal level, facilitating geographical comparison within Puerto Rico. This visualization can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/node/517.

The tables with the annual population estimates for Puerto Rico and its municipalities can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/EstimadosPoblacionales, as well as in the data dissemination tool of the U.S. Census Bureau: data.census.gov.

As the leading entity of the State Data Center of 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 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 the website: www.estadisticas.pr Or 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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Quality process begins to improve Puerto Rico's statistics

PRESS RELEASE

They add data on substance use by students to the interactive map on school and community profiles

Based on the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) “Youth Consultation” study

May 23, 2022: The executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, announced that a new layer, on substance use by students living in Puerto Rico, has been added to the interactive map on school and community profiles, known as the “School Community Profile: The Interactive Map”. This new layer consists mainly of data on the prevalence of substance use, risk and protective factors, access to substances, risk perception, and violent behavior, among others. The tool also contains a copy of the official report from which the data were obtained. This particular layer is entitled “Youth Consultation 2018-2020 (ASSMCA)” and must be activated using the “layers” menu.

“These data are based on the Youth Consultation survey conducted during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 academic years and measures the prevalence of substance use among students from seventh to twelfth grade, both in public and private schools in Puerto Rico. In particular, this new layer is divided into ten (10) service areas or regions grouped into: Metro Area, Arecibo, Bayamón, Caguas, Fajardo, Guayama, Mayaguez, Moca, Ponce and Utuado,” explained Dr. Disdier.

Some aspects that this new layer allows us to observe are, for example, that, in the area or region of Utuado, 7.8% of students ever used marijuana, 5.3% used unprescribed pills, 51.6% (of those who used cocaine) started using cocaine when they were less than 12 years old, and 36.8% lived in a conflicted family environment, among other statistics. In the same way, by concurrently activating the Public School Directory layer, it can be seen that most schools in that geographical area of Utuado have a three (3) star rating. “This is just one example of many geospatial observations and/or analyses that could be carried out,” emphasized Dr. Disdier.

The School Community Profile: The interactive map, with this new layer, resides on the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics website and interested parties can access it at any time through the following e-mail address: School-community profile.

For technical questions about this tool, you can send an email to: preguntas@estadisticas.pr.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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Contacts:

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

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

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