If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

be 13.8% less likely to be obese

In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 2.3 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 48.6% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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make 81.0% more money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.

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Life

be 37.3% more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

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have 46.7% fewer children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 20.1% more likely to have internet access

In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.

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Geography

see 80.2% less coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

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Infrastructure

find 21.3% less home broadband

French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 39.3% more CO2

French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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