New York was not among the main destinations for emigrants

Announcements
IEPR
24 December 2025

PRESS RELEASE

PUERTO RICO STATE DATA CENTER NETWORK (SDC-PR)

New York was not among the main destinations for emigrants

This is indicated in the most recent Migrant Profile 2018-2019

San Juan, PR, June 1, 2021 — During the calendar year 2019, data from the Community Survey for the first time (in 15 years) indicate that the state of New York was not among the top five destinations for emigrants who left Puerto Rico, a characteristic that used to be a constant of emigration from Puerto Rico. This was revealed in the 2018-2019 Migrant Profile, which was published today by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, and which presents an overview of the migratory movement in Puerto Rico in the calendar year 2018 and 2019. In fact, New York did not rank among the top 10 destination states either, dropping to the eleventh position. Here are several key findings:

  1. In 2018, Puerto Rico's migration indicators showed that:
    • 133,000 people immigrated to United States states, increasing the previous year's mark based on the Community Survey
    • 113,000 people migrated to United States states in net terms, a new mark compared to information from the Community Survey
    • 40,000 people immigrated to U.S. states with some post-secondary education in net terms, according to the Community Survey
    • 89,000 air passengers from all destinations to Puerto Rico in net terms according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
  2. The five states with the highest emigration from Puerto Rico in 2018 were Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.
  3. In 2018, 36% of emigrants and 53% of immigrants lived in poverty, according to data from the Community Survey.
  1. In 2019, Puerto Rico's migration indicators reflected that:
    • 66,000 people immigrated to United States states, reducing the record of Community Survey data from the previous year (2018)
    • 35,000 people immigrated to United States states in net terms, the lowest figure since 2010 compared to information from the Community Survey
    • 13,000 people immigrated to U.S. states with some post-secondary education in net terms according to the Community Survey
    • 10,000 air passengers from Puerto Rico to all destinations in net terms according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
  2. The five states with the highest emigration from Puerto Rico in 2019 were Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
  3. By 2019, 30% of emigrants and 42% of immigrants were living in poverty, according to data from the Community Survey.
  4. During the year 2018 to 2019, the median income of immigrants from Puerto Rico (residing in the United States) increased from $15,239 to $16,976, which was about 11% higher in 2019.
  5. The migratory trend was strengthened, in the decade (2010-2019), in net terms:
    • 607,000 people migrated to the states, according to the Community Survey
    • 655,000 air passengers departed from Puerto Rico to all destinations according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
  6. Among the specific occupations:
    • In 2018, it was estimated that 3,156 (+/- 1,638) emigrants were employed as retailers, 2,842 (+/- 1,305) were employed as teachers and tutors, and 2,769 (+/- 1,177) were employed as cashiers.
    • In 2019, it was estimated that some 1,727 (+/-1,030) emigrants were employed as cashiers and 900 (+/- 497) employed as teachers and tutors.

“The new publication shows the increase in the emigration movement in 2018, where estimates suggest that about 3% of the population moved from residence to outside of Puerto Rico. In terms of migratory destinations, New York did not rank, for the first time, among the top ten destination states in 2019. The change requires follow-up with new data, as they are published, to examine whether this trait will be the beginning of a change in the geographical trend of emigration from Puerto Rico, where other states in the southern and eastern regions of the United States will now continue to be those with the highest movement of migrants.” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

See more details and information about the 2018-2019 Migrant Profile, as well as previous publications, in the Publications section of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics through the following link: Publications.

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. In addition, as the leading entity of the Puerto Rico SDC, the Institute manages the Puerto Rico State Data Center (SDC) page, which contains products containing data and census information from U.S. Census Bureau about Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand. The Puerto Rico SDC website can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.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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For questions:

https://preguntas.estadisticas.pr/

e-mail: alberto.velazquez@estadisticas.pr

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Profile of private schools in Puerto Rico published

Profile of private schools in Puerto Rico published

Recruiting for the 2020 Census begins

PRESS RELEASE

RED STATE DATA CENTER OF PUERTO RICO

RECRUITING FOR THE 2020 CENSUS BEGINS

San Juan, PR, February 5, 2019 — The Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico (Institute) announced today that the platform for applying for employment opportunities, related to the next Decennial Census 2020 in Puerto Rico, is now operational. The recruitment carried out by the Federal Census Bureau (U.S. Census Bureau) emerges as part of the planning of the important census operation that is coming. As the leading entity of the Network State Data Center (SDC) of the U.S. Census Bureau in Puerto Rico, the Institute urges all interested persons to complete the employment application. The 2020 Census job application platform is available online at the following email address: https://tinyurl.com/ybsulewp.

To apply for employment with the Census Bureau, applicants must complete three steps: 1) Create an applicant profile, 2) Provide personal information, and 3) Complete an evaluation, depending on employment preference. For general questions about the application process, you can consult the employment applications section at: https://tinyurl.com/yd9hu5vo. If you have questions about the operations of the U.S. Census Bureau in Puerto Rico, you can contact us at: https://estadisticas.pr.gov/contacto.

“Given the complexity of a Decennial Census, activities and projects intensify as we approach the date of the enumeration (April 1, 2020). We are already a little more than a year away from the event, and in this case the application and evaluation phase of candidates for the various positions offered by the Census Bureau begins. Timely recruitment is vital, since the positions involve specialized training that will result in the best possible enumeration of the population,” said Alberto L. Velázquez Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

For his part, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Acting Executive Director, noted that “The preparation of the Decennial Census is a complex and very precise task, which is carried out in a relatively short time. Fortunately, at the Institute we are coordinating and managing all the work processes that need to be completed before April 1, 2020. All of the Institute's demographic and statistical work, vital for the economic and social development of Puerto Rico, is up to date.”

As the leading entity of the Puerto Rico SDC, 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. These publications include: 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 https://data.pr.gov/ and to over 40 tables and more than 6,000 indicators through: www.indicadores.pr.

For more information you can visit our website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on cyber social networks through Facebook (estadisticas.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Puerto Rico's trade balance surplus increases 30%

Puerto Rico's Trade Balance Surplus Increases by 30%

Exports increased by 3.6% compared to the previous calendar year, and

Imports increased by 0.8% compared to the previous calendar year

San Juan, Puerto Rico — March 3, 2026. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute published external trade data for the month of December 2025, allowing for an analysis of performance in terms of international trade for the calendar year 2025, which covers January through December 2025. Annual exports totaled $62,435,255,371, representing an increase of 3.55% compared to the previous calendar year, while annual imports totaled $55,033,443,743, representing an increase of 0.79% compared to the same previous period. In the calendar year, a trade balance surplus of $7,401,811,628 was recorded, reflecting an increase of 30.02% compared to the $5,692,730,055 recorded in 2024.

Dr. Ronald G. Hernández Maldonado, Statistical Project Manager at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, explained that the trade balance is the indicator that measures the difference between the value of exports and that of imports of goods in a jurisdiction. A surplus occurs when exports exceed imports; a deficit is when the opposite happens. This indicator constitutes one of the main measures of international trade,as it reflects both productive capacity and the level of dependence on foreign goods. In general terms, productive capacity refers to what Puerto Rico is able to produce and sell (as reflected in exports), and the level of dependence refers to what Puerto Rico needs to purchase from abroad (as reflected in imports).

For more information, see the attached annex.

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