If you lived in Peru instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 31.2% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 29.1% of people as of 2024.

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be 71.6% less likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Peru, it is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 4.0 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 14.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Peru, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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make 76.2% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Peru, the GDP per capita is $9,684 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.8 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Peru, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Peru, 51.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 82.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Peru, on the other hand, 11.0 children do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 4.8 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Peru, that number is 2,414 km.

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Safety

be 41.1% less likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Peru, that number is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 75.3% less strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Peru withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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find 58.3% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Peru has 11.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 58.1% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Peru emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Peru: At a glance

Peru is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,279,996 sq km. Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president, defeating Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi, the daughter of Alberto FUJIMORI. Since his election, HUMALA has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.
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