Natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Natural population growth rate was -0.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico is -0.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.1% on the previous year and down 880.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico peaked at 2.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 2022.
Puerto Rico ranks 222nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.9% | — |
| 1951 | 2.8% | -4.1% |
| 1952 | 2.7% | -3.3% |
| 1953 | 2.7% | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 1957 | 2.6% | -3.1% |
| 1958 | 2.6% | -0.6% |
| 1959 | 2.6% | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 2.6% | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 2.4% | -4.1% |
| 1962 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | -1.0% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 2.2% | -9.4% |
| 1967 | 2.1% | -5.6% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | -7.8% |
| 1969 | 1.8% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | -4.4% |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +5.7% |
| 1972 | 1.7% | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 1.7% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 1.6% | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 1.6% | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | -5.9% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | -6.2% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 1.2% | -7.2% |
| 1985 | 1.1% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 1.1% | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -13.7% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 0.6% | -11.6% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -12.6% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | -12.6% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -22.9% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -35.4% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -29.8% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -13.5% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -33.8% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -22.8% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | -0.0% | -121.4% |
| 2015 | -0.1% | +279.1% |
| 2016 | -0.2% | +221.5% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | +106.2% |
| 2018 | -0.4% | +13.3% |
| 2019 | -0.4% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | -0.5% | +22.8% |
| 2021 | -0.5% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | -0.6% | +23.3% |
| 2023 | -0.5% | -15.1% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's -0.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%. (85 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's -0.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.5%. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Natural population growth rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | -279.1% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | -221.5% | -0.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | -121.4% | 0.1% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -106.2% | -0.2% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1% | -0.4% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5% | -0.6% | -0.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More population data for Puerto Rico
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -2.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -2.24 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -30.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -2.24 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -2.3% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 23,218 people (2100)
- Population density 112.25 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -2.3% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.0575 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico?
- Natural population growth rate in Puerto Rico was -0.5% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest natural population growth rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest natural population growth rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 2022.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for natural population growth rate?
- Puerto Rico ranks 222nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is natural population growth rate rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 880.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Natural population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Births minus deaths, as a share of the population. This is the part of population change that comes only from births and deaths, ignoring migration.