Rural population in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Rural population was 180,246 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population in Puerto Rico, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Puerto Rico stood at 180,246. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Puerto Rico peaked at 1.32 million in 1962 and was at its lowest, 180,246, in 2025.
That places Puerto Rico 166th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.31 million | — |
| 1961 | 1.32 million | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 1.32 million | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 1.32 million | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.31 million | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 1.30 million | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 1.28 million | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 1.25 million | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 1.22 million | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 1.19 million | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 1.18 million | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 1.16 million | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 1.16 million | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 1.16 million | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 1.15 million | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 1.14 million | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.13 million | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 1.12 million | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 1.10 million | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 1.08 million | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 1.06 million | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 1.03 million | -2.8% |
| 1982 | 989,963 | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 948,149 | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 901,619 | -4.9% |
| 1985 | 851,213 | -5.6% |
| 1986 | 797,679 | -6.3% |
| 1987 | 741,805 | -7.0% |
| 1988 | 684,408 | -7.7% |
| 1989 | 626,331 | -8.5% |
| 1990 | 568,436 | -9.2% |
| 1991 | 510,805 | -10.1% |
| 1992 | 455,202 | -10.9% |
| 1993 | 403,693 | -11.3% |
| 1994 | 356,552 | -11.7% |
| 1995 | 314,378 | -11.8% |
| 1996 | 278,787 | -11.3% |
| 1997 | 249,714 | -10.4% |
| 1998 | 228,075 | -8.7% |
| 1999 | 215,764 | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 213,260 | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 214,713 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 217,115 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 220,194 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 223,703 | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 227,063 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 229,698 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 231,564 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 232,743 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 233,055 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 232,448 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 230,479 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 228,337 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 226,244 | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 222,941 | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 219,226 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 214,977 | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 209,555 | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 200,775 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 199,747 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 196,514 | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 193,967 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 189,632 | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 186,543 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 184,018 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 180,246 | -2.0% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 180,246 is below the median for high income countries, which is 456,529, 39% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 180,246 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 622,054, 29% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.28 million | 1.19 million | 1.32 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.14 million | 1.08 million | 1.18 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 862,310 | 626,331 | 1.06 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 358,141 | 215,764 | 568,436 | 10 |
| 2000s | 224,311 | 213,260 | 233,055 | 10 |
| 2010s | 218,473 | 199,747 | 232,448 | 10 |
| 2020s | 188,487 | 180,246 | 196,514 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 163 Montenegro 214,303 compare
- 164 Gabon 205,177 compare
- 165 Samoa 180,913 compare
- 167 Uruguay 147,108 compare
- 168 Saint Lucia 127,732 compare
- 169 Cape Verde 117,962 compare
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 growth -2.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Puerto Rico?
- Rural population in Puerto Rico was 180,246 in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 1.32 million in 1962.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 180,246 in 2025.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for rural population?
- Puerto Rico ranks 166th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.