During the calendar year 2019, it was estimated, in net terms, that nearly 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States. This is revealed by the most recent data from the Community Survey.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau covers the 2019 calendar year. The new data has been published through the new platform data.census.gov. As the local entity liaising with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Institute of Statistics shares several findings from the new 2019 data:

1. In 2019, Puerto Rico's migration indicators showed the following changes compared to previous years:
   • Around 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States in net terms, representing a decrease compared to previous years (2011-2018) where the net balance ranged from 49,000 to 113,000 people migrating annually based on information from the Community Survey.
   • 31,144 people immigrated from the United States to Puerto Rico, contrasting with an increase in immigrants of 49% compared to 2018, where an estimated immigration of 20,900 people was estimated.
   • 66,021 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States, showing a decrease from the record number in 2018, which amounted to 133,451 people.
2. Regarding various socioeconomic characteristics for Puerto Rico during 2019:
   • Some 684,655 people or 21.6% of the population (3,169,528) reported having a disability.
   • Around 77,000 grandparents live with their grandson or granddaughter under 18 and 32.2% of these are responsible for them.
   • For the population aged 25 and over (2,301,735):
     • 78.8% had a higher education or higher education
     • 27.2% had an education attained at the baccalaureate level or higher
   • 39.5% and 43.5% of families and individuals, respectively, are below the poverty line.
   • The median household income was $20,474.
   • The median household income was $25,388.
   • The GINI index, which measures income inequality, where the value of 0 indicates that there is perfect equality and the value 1 total inequality, places Puerto Rico with an indicator of 0.5509, being the highest when compared to the states.
   • As for households (1,170,982), it was estimated that:
     • 76.3% had a computer
     • 68.2% had access to an internet subscription (broadband)

“In terms of migration, published data for 2019 point to a reduction in net migration compared to previous years. However, the fact that nearly 35,000 people have emigrated means that 1% of Puerto Rico's population declined through emigration in a single year, which has been the drastic trend throughout the decade 2010-2020,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

See more details, data and information about the 2019 Community Survey at: data.census.gov. In addition, you can consult about the transition to the new platform for accessing census data, available at the following links, webinars: https://cutt.ly/Cw7v9fI, SDC-PR and tutorials: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/2019/visualize-data.html.

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Federal Committee on Labor Statistics appointed Executive Director of the Institute

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics has a new president of its Board of Directors

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) has a new president of its Board of Directors. The Board elected Dr. Javier Hernández Acosta as president, after the expiry of the term as board member of the past president, Nicolás Muñoz Muñoz. Dr. Hernández is a professor and director of the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries at the Sacred Heart University. Similarly, Dr. Hernández is the Founder of Cultural Investment and the Center for Creative Economy, Inc., non-profit organizations that support the development of cultural and creative industries in Puerto Rico. Dr. Hernández has been a member of the Board of Directors since October 2020 and prior to that role he collaborated as a researcher on several projects of the Institute such as the World Values Survey (2018), the Innovation Survey (2015) And the Science and Technology Survey: Research and Development (2015).

Members of the Board of Directors do not earn compensation for their services. The Board is composed, in addition to Dr. Javier Hernández Acosta, Mrs. Carola Ballester Descartes, vice-president, Dr. José A. Jorge Pagán, secretary, Mr. Vicente Feliciano Pérez, Dr. Francisco E. Martínez Aponte and Mr. Manuel Laboy. This Board of Directors, as established in Act 209 of August 28, 2003, is the governing body that establishes the administrative policy of the Institute, which is led by Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Executive Director. “The Institute's relevance increases every day with the need for greater transparency and accessibility to information sources to support decision-making. It is up to us to guarantee its autonomy and fiscal sustainability so that it can continue to expand its impact. It is a great responsibility to support this management from the Board of Directors,” said Dr. Hernández, president of the Board of Directors.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is a governmental entity with fiscal and administrative autonomy with the mission of coordinating the statistical production service of government entities. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Instagram (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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For questions and more information write to the following email: preguntas@estadisticas.pr