Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Population growth (annual %) (World Population) was -0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Puerto Rico, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Puerto Rico is -0.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1,293.4% on the previous year and up 60.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Puerto Rico peaked at 2.2% in 1963 and was at its lowest, -3.6%, in 2018.
That places Puerto Rico 201st out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.8% | — |
| 1962 | 2.1% | +19.0% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | +4.9% |
| 1964 | 2.0% | -10.5% |
| 1965 | 1.6% | -20.8% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | -23.4% |
| 1967 | 0.8% | -33.9% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | -21.3% |
| 1969 | 0.8% | +33.8% |
| 1970 | 1.3% | +51.7% |
| 1971 | 1.6% | +28.7% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | +22.4% |
| 1973 | 2.2% | +9.5% |
| 1974 | 2.1% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | -11.4% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | -10.4% |
| 1977 | 1.5% | -11.5% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | -10.4% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | -6.3% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 1.0% | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -20.5% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | -8.8% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | +30.5% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +10.3% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +21.4% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | -17.2% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -38.1% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | -12.9% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -44.8% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -22.6% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -39.8% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -51.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -67.3% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -804.9% |
| 2006 | -0.4% | +193.6% |
| 2007 | -0.6% | +38.3% |
| 2008 | -0.6% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | -0.5% | -7.0% |
| 2010 | -0.4% | -21.7% |
| 2011 | -0.8% | +95.7% |
| 2012 | -0.9% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | -0.8% | -7.9% |
| 2014 | -1.3% | +58.3% |
| 2015 | -1.4% | +8.9% |
| 2016 | -1.6% | +11.4% |
| 2017 | -2.0% | +29.4% |
| 2018 | -3.6% | +77.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -110.2% |
| 2020 | -0.6% | -276.1% |
| 2021 | -0.6% | -10.1% |
| 2022 | -1.3% | +127.9% |
| 2023 | -0.5% | -61.2% |
| 2024 | -0.0% | -92.2% |
| 2025 | -0.6% | +1293.4% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's -0.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%. (85 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's -0.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.5%. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Puerto Rico changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -1293.4% | -0.0% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | -804.9% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | -276.1% | 0.4% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | -193.6% | -0.1% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | 0.6% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2% | -0.6% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.2% | -3.6% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.6% | -1.3% | -0.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More climate change data for Puerto Rico
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.50 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,291 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 329.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 961.57 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 34.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 13.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 13.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.0196 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0524 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Puerto Rico?
- Population growth in Puerto Rico was -0.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1963.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.6% in 2018.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for population growth?
- Puerto Rico ranks 201st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.