Puerto Rico Population
Puerto Rico had an estimated population of 3,184,835 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 134th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.04% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.55% a year.
Puerto Rico at a glance
How Puerto Rico's population is changing
Puerto Rico's population is shrinking: −0.55% a year, which works out to about −17,637 people per year, or −48 a day. Births (5.7 per 1,000) and deaths (10.3 per 1,000) alone would give −0.46% a year; net migration adds about 5,495 people a year (+0.17%). Roughly one in every 2,580 people on Earth lives in Puerto Rico.
Population of Puerto Rico since 1960
In 1960, Puerto Rico had 2,358,000 people. By 2025 that was 3,184,835 — 1.4× larger. The population peaked in 2004 at 3,826,878 and has declined since. The fastest growth came between 1969 and 1979, when the population rose by 18%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,358,000 | — |
| 1970 | 2,718,000 | +15.3% |
| 1980 | 3,206,000 | +18.0% |
| 1990 | 3,537,000 | +10.3% |
| 2000 | 3,810,605 | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 3,724,465 | −2.3% |
| 2020 | 3,281,591 | −11.9% |
| 2025 | 3,184,835 | −2.9% |
Puerto Rico from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Puerto Rico at about 146,063 people in 1800; the UN estimates 3,235,290 in 2025 (22× 1800) and projects 995,622 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2001 at 3,813,009 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 146,063 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 440,820 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 981,410 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 2,229,095 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 3,809,868 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 3,235,290 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 2,503,988 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 1,661,747 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 995,622 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Puerto Rico
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 3,184,835. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan | 418,140 | GeoNames settlement | 13.13% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 2 | Bayamón | 203,499 | GeoNames settlement | 6.39% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Carolina | 170,404 | GeoNames settlement | 5.35% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Arecibo | 87,754 | GeoNames settlement | 2.76% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Ponce | 83,901 | UN urban centre | 2.63% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Caguas | 82,175 | UN urban centre | 2.58% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Guaynabo | 81,360 | GeoNames settlement | 2.55% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Trujillo Alto | 75,243 | GeoNames settlement | 2.36% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Mayagüez | 73,077 | GeoNames settlement | 2.29% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Fajardo | 32,124 | GeoNames settlement | 1.01% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Puerto Rico compares
Puerto Rico has almost the same population as Bosnia and Herzegovina (3,140,095).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #132 |  Mongolia | 3,568,978 | +12% | compare → |
| #133 |  Uruguay | 3,384,688 | +6% | compare → |
| #135 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,140,095 | −1% | compare → |
| #136 |  Namibia | 3,092,816 | −3% | compare → |
Compare Puerto Rico with any country →
Same region (Latin America & Caribbean): Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela.
Explore around Puerto Rico
Nearest countries
Puerto Rico has no land border. Closest by distance:
United States Virgin Islands 103,792 · 30.7× smaller · compare
British Virgin Islands 39,732 · 80.2× smaller · compare
Saint Kitts and Nevis 46,922 · 67.9× smaller · compare
Dominican Republic 11,520,487 · 3.6× the population · compare
In its region
Puerto Rico is the 21st most populous of the 42 economies in Latin America & Caribbean, holding 0.5% of the region's 666,592,570 people.
Rankings featuring Puerto Rico
- Fastest-shrinking countries #9
- Lowest birth rates #7
- Oldest populations (share aged 65+) #3
- Most urbanised countries #21
Cities
San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Arecibo, Ponce, Caguas, Guaynabo, Trujillo Alto — all Puerto Rico's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Puerto Rico when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.