Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 1.0 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2020.

Economy

pay a 16.7% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Puerto Rico, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

make 34.1% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,800 as of 2017, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $39,400 as of 2017.

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Puerto Rico, that number is 10.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 13.2% more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.3 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2020.

have 35.5% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, there are 8.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 19.1% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Puerto Rico, about 70.6% do as of 2018.

Expenditures

spend 22.0% more on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2014. Puerto Rico spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2014.

Geography

see 97.5% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.

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 United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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