Rural population growth (annual %) in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Rural population growth (annual %) was -2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Puerto Rico, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Puerto Rico recorded -2.1% for rural population growth in 2025.
The figure is down 52.0% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Puerto Rico peaked at 1.6% in 2004 and was at its lowest, -12.6%, in 1995.
Puerto Rico ranks 192nd of 210 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.4% | — |
| 1962 | 0.3% | -34.6% |
| 1963 | -0.0% | -110.4% |
| 1964 | -0.6% | +2057.7% |
| 1965 | -1.2% | +114.1% |
| 1966 | -1.8% | +43.5% |
| 1967 | -2.2% | +27.7% |
| 1968 | -2.4% | +6.9% |
| 1969 | -2.1% | -13.8% |
| 1970 | -1.4% | -31.7% |
| 1971 | -0.9% | -35.8% |
| 1972 | -0.5% | -44.4% |
| 1973 | -0.3% | -40.8% |
| 1974 | -0.4% | +30.8% |
| 1975 | -0.7% | +72.3% |
| 1976 | -1.0% | +41.1% |
| 1977 | -1.3% | +33.2% |
| 1978 | -1.6% | +25.7% |
| 1979 | -1.9% | +19.4% |
| 1980 | -2.3% | +18.5% |
| 1981 | -2.8% | +26.2% |
| 1982 | -3.6% | +26.4% |
| 1983 | -4.3% | +20.1% |
| 1984 | -5.0% | +16.6% |
| 1985 | -5.8% | +14.3% |
| 1986 | -6.5% | +12.9% |
| 1987 | -7.3% | +11.8% |
| 1988 | -8.1% | +10.9% |
| 1989 | -8.9% | +10.1% |
| 1990 | -9.7% | +9.4% |
| 1991 | -10.7% | +10.2% |
| 1992 | -11.5% | +7.8% |
| 1993 | -12.0% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | -12.4% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | -12.6% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | -12.0% | -4.6% |
| 1997 | -11.0% | -8.3% |
| 1998 | -9.1% | -17.7% |
| 1999 | -5.5% | -38.8% |
| 2000 | -1.2% | -79.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -158.2% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +63.8% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +26.6% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | +12.3% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | -22.6% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -29.9% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -37.2% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -73.6% |
| 2010 | -0.3% | -294.7% |
| 2011 | -0.9% | +226.2% |
| 2012 | -0.9% | +9.8% |
| 2013 | -0.9% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | -1.5% | +59.7% |
| 2015 | -1.7% | +14.3% |
| 2016 | -2.0% | +16.5% |
| 2017 | -2.6% | +30.5% |
| 2018 | -4.3% | +67.6% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -88.0% |
| 2020 | -1.6% | +217.9% |
| 2021 | -1.3% | -20.1% |
| 2022 | -2.3% | +73.3% |
| 2023 | -1.6% | -27.3% |
| 2024 | -1.4% | -17.0% |
| 2025 | -2.1% | +52.0% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's -2.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is -0.3%, 7.3× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's -2.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -0.2%, 9.8× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | -2057.7% | -0.0% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | -294.7% | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | -226.2% | -0.3% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | -217.9% | -0.5% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -1.1% | -2.4% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | -1.0% | -1.9% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | -5.4% | -8.9% | -2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -10.7% | -12.6% | -5.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | -1.2% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.5% | -4.3% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.7% | -2.3% | -1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More agriculture & rural data for Puerto Rico
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.4415 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0069 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 278.57 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0566 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.7% (2025)
- Rural population 5.7% (2025)
- Rural population 180,246 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Puerto Rico?
- Rural population growth in Puerto Rico was -2.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2004.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.6% in 1995.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for rural population growth?
- Puerto Rico ranks 192nd out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.