Puerto Rico Economy

Overview

Puerto Rico has been one of the most dynamic and competitive economies in Latin America and the Caribbean region until recent years, Puerto Rico's economy relies mainly on federal aid from the United States government.

Since 2006, Puerto Rico's growth has been negative since. The dip coincides with the elimination of tax preferences that had led US companies to invest in the island since the 1950s.

Until the 1940's, Puerto Rico's economy was dominated by sugar production up. Since then, manufacturing has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income; composing almost half (about 46%) of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the island. The leading industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, processed foods, clothing and textiles. Followed by the service industry: finance, insurance, real estate, and tourism.

Thus, today, Puerto Rico's major problem is the lack of jobs for an expanding population and the rate of economic improvement.

History

Puerto Rico's economy prior to the arrival of Spaniards was based on hunting and gathering with agriculture. Taíno Indians who inhabited the territory were skilled at agriculture and hunting, they were also good sailors, fishermen, canoe makers, and navigators. Their main crops were cassava, garlic, potatoes, yautías, mamey, guava, and anón.

The economy of Puerto Rico was transformed drastically upon the arrivals of Spaniards in 1493 until their departure in 1898. On 1815, the Royal Decree of Grace was issued, allowing foreigners to enter Puerto Rico, and opening the port to trade with nations other than Spain. This was the beginning of agriculture-based economic growth, with sugar, tobacco and coffee being the main products.

In 1898, following the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico experienced another transformation. From 1898 and 1930 sugar production increased drastically, it accounted for 40% of cultivated land, 50% of agricultural labor, and more than 30% of Puerto Rico's economic activity. The increase in the price of sugar on the world markets, as well as the investment of capital, made Puerto Rico into one of the principal producers of sugar internationally.

Until the late 1950's, agriculture constituted Puerto Rico's main economic sector. Sugarcane, mostly for export to the American market, was the main crop, followed by coffee and tobacco. In 1940, agriculture employed 43% of the work force.

In the late 1940s, like many other political leaders of the time, Puerto Rican leaders believed that manufacturing was the way Puerto Rico could develop economically. Soon after, the government launched an industrialization program known as "Operation Bootstrap." Under this program the island was to become industrialized by providing labor locally, inviting investment of external capital, importing the raw materials, and exporting the finished products to the U.S. market. To entice participation, tax exemptions and differential rental rates for industrial buildings were offered. Thus, Puerto Rico's economy shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing and tourism.

Section 936 of the US internal revenue code, passed in 1976, established a substantial tax credit for US corporations doing business in Puerto Rico and possessions of the United States. The U.S. tax code exempted the profits earned by American companies from federal taxes.

Puerto Rico's economy depended heavily on these incentives. Some corporations were also allowed to import their products into the United States duty-free.

In 1993, President Clinton aimed to cut the Section 936 of the U.S. tax code. Section 936 was replaced with Section 30A, which allowed companies to claim 60% of wages and capital investment as non-taxable income. A more modest tax credit linked to wages paid by those companies in Puerto Rico rather than to profits was introduced. Pharmaceutical companies and high-tech industries based in Puerto Rico were to have an advantage over NAFTA member Mexico, whose low wages in low-skill labor-intensive jobs competed with Puerto Rican jobs.

It is estimated that 100,000 Puerto Ricans were employed by companies operating under Section 936 (of which 23,000 are in pharmaceuticals) and another 200,000 are indirectly employed.

Road side vendor

In 1996, Congress opted to phase out Section 936 by the year 2006. To no one's surprise, many companies in Puerto Rico closed. The number of manufacturing jobs on the island dropped by almost half by 2014. The unemployment rate remains high at 12.6 percent more than twice the U.S. average rate, a factor that to continues drive the out-migration.

On the other hand, the agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) also has implications for Puerto Rico because of competition for jobs and investment. Although wage levels are lower in Mexico, Section 30A gives companies in Puerto Rico an advantage in pharmaceuticals and hi-tech industries. In low-skill labor-intensive manufacturing, such as clothing and footwear, Mexico has the advantage. Puerto Rico currently employs 30,000 in the clothing industry.

Puerto Rico's economy is affected by the same factors affecting the US economy. The downturn in the US economy that began in 2001 negatively impacted the Puerto Rican economy more severely than the mainland economy. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States also had an adverse effect on the Puerto Rican tourist industry. By 2003, the economy was beginning to show signs of stabilizing: unemployment stood at 11.9% in the first quarter of 2003, down from over 13% in 2002.

Considering all these factors, Puerto Rico's tanked economy triggered an exodus of island residents to the mainland not seen since the 1950s. The Census Bureau's Community Survey shows that in 2011 and 2012, about 55,000 residents migrated from the island to the mainland each year.

In addition, sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. The principal livestock are cattle, pigs and poultry. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3.2 million tourists in 2013, and a 7% of the Island's GNP, the tourism industry employees over 63,500 people.

As of June 2015, Puerto Rico is on the brink of default. Puerto Rico's external debt is part of the U.S. debt, but the island has a public debt approaching US$16 billion. Puerto Rico carries more debt per capita than any state in the United States. To make matters worse, Puerto Rico's unemployment rate is above 15%, more than double the 7.3% in the mainland, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In May 2017, the federal board filed Puerto Rico's bankruptcy, the largest ever in the $3.8 trillion municipal-bond market. Four months later on September 2017, Maria hit the island, destroying its electrical grid and stopping its economy dead.

The main government expenditures are on health, education and welfare.

Duties on imports from countries outside the U.S. tariff wall are collected at Puerto Rico's borders but sent to the Puerto Rico Treasury, not the U.S. Treasury.

Finance

There are currently 19 commercial banks in Puerto Rico, most of them local corporations. Local banks institutions includes: Banco Popular, which is considered the largest banking institution in the island, with over one hundred branches throughout the island, Banco de San Juan, and Banco Mercantil de Puerto Rico; and branches of US: Citibank and FirstBank; and foreign banks: Banco Bilbao-Vizcaya, and Banco Santander, the second largest bank in Puerto Rico. The government owns and operates two specialized banks- the Government Development Bank (GDB) and the Economic Development Bank (EDB).

Banks offer a wide range of products and services such as checking and savings accounts, CDs, IRAs, loans, credit and debit cards, and electronic banking. Automatic teller machines are abundant, commonly referred to as ATHs. Banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. They are subject to all Federal controls applicable to banks in the United States of America.

Stock Market
Puerto Rico does not have its own Stock Market, and many of its larger corporations are listed on U.S. stock markets. On June 15, 2004 Popular, Inc. become the first Puerto Rican Financial Company to open the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Market Value Stats

Gross National Income (GNI per capita) (formerly GNP per capita): $70.8 billion (2019)
per capita: $22,160 (2019)

Puerto Rico is classified as a high income country, high income countries are defined by the World Bank as countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $11,116 or more.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - purchasing power parity
$137.828 billion (2023 est.)
$137.056 billion (2022 est.)
$132.334 billion (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$117.902 billion (2023 est.)
$104.2 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.56% (2023 est.)
3.57% (2022 est.)
0.39% (2021 est.)

GDP - per capita (purchasing power parity):
$43,000 (2023 est.)
$42,600 (2022 est.)
$40,600 (2021 est.)

GDP per Capita Country Comparison

Country	2000	2008	2009	2010
Puerto Rico	10,000	18,100	17,400	16,300
United States	36,200	48,300	46,700	47,400
Jamaica	3,700	8,800	8,500	8,400
Cuba	1,700	9,700	9,800	9,900

Puerto Rican workers are covered by the U.S. Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are subject only to the Federal minimum wage ($7.25) and all applicable regulations. Workers not covered by the FLSA will be subject to a minimum wage that is at least 70 percent of the Federal minimum wage or the applicable mandatory decree rate, whichever is higher. Labor costs are below the mainland average, but are higher than in other areas of the Caribbean Basin.

Gross Domestic Product: real growth rate - 0.21% (2021 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption: 80% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 7.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 13.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.5% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 53.9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -47.8% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.7% (2023 est.)

industry: 49.1% (2023 est.)

services: 50.6% (2023 est.)

Workforce & Employment

A skilled, bilingual workforce ready for the global economy.

Labor Force:
1.154 million (2023 est.)
1.136 million (2021 est.)
1.1 million of persons 16 years and over (2020)
1.081 million (November 2018 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

Services: 35.2%, Trade: 23.4%
Government: 17.2%, Manufacturing: 10.2%,
Construction: 4.7%,
Transportation and other public utilities: 4.1%
Finance, insurance and real estate: 3.6%,
Agriculture: 1.6% (2019)

Top Growing Occupations:

• Healthcare Professionals
  Nurses, medical technicians, healthcare administrators
• Software Developers
  Web, mobile, and enterprise application developers
• Data Analysts
  Business intelligence, data science, analytics
• Hospitality Management
  Hotel managers, event coordinators, tourism specialists
• Financial Services
  Financial analysts, accountants, investment advisors

Education & Training:

Universities

• University of Puerto Rico (11 campuses)
• Inter American University
• Pontifical Catholic University
• Ana G. Méndez University
• Over 60 higher education institutions

Vocational Training

• Technical and vocational schools
• Industry-specific training programs
• Manufacturing certifications
• Healthcare training facilities
• Technology bootcamps and academies

Construction Growth: 15% (1997 est.)
Construction is currently one of the most dynamic activities in Puerto Rico's economy. Since the mid-1980s, the construction industry has grown faster than most other economic sectors, helping to sustain the overall growth of the economy.

Organized Labor:
Puerto Rico has dozens of labor unions representing workers across the public and private sectors. Today there are more than 40 active labor unions on the island, representing workers in education, utilities, government services, and manufacturing.

Unemployment Rate:
5.96% (2023 est.)
6% (2022 est.)
7.9% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 13.7% (2023 est.)
male: 14.9% (2023 est.)
female: 10.5% (2023 est.)

Minimum Wage:
Puerto Rico follows the U.S. federal minimum wage, which increased locally to $10.50 per hour in July 2024. A scheduled increase will raise it to $11.00 per hour in July 2025.

Average Hourly Wage:
Average hourly wages vary by sector but generally range from $13–$17 per hour, still below the U.S. mainland average.

Tipped Minimum Wage:
Workers who receive tips may earn a base wage as low as $2.13 per hour, provided tips raise their earnings to at least the standard minimum wage.

Population Below Poverty Level:
Puerto Rico continues to have one of the highest poverty rates under U.S. jurisdiction.

Approximately 40–41% of residents live below the poverty line (2022–2023 estimates).

For comparison, the U.S. national poverty rate is around 11–12%, meaning Puerto Rico's rate remains significantly higher than any U.S. state.

According to the US Census Bureau - that's nearly double the poverty rate in Mississippi, the most impoverished of the fifty states.

Households and Families

Median Household Income: $19,775 (2017)

Total Households: 1,261,325 (2016)

Average population per family: 2.81 (2013-2017)

Average population per household: 2.98 (2000)

Inflation Rate (consumer prices):
-1.60% (August of 2020)
1.8% (2017 est.)
-0.3% (2016 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4% (31 December 2016 est.)
3.3% (31 December 2015 est.)

Food Inflation -1.10% (July of 2016)

Taxes

Puerto Rico has its own tax system, separate from the U.S. federal tax system, although it follows a similar structure.

The island's Sales and Use Tax (IVU) applies to most goods and services. The current general rate is 11.5%, consisting of:

• 10.5% Commonwealth tax
• 1% municipal tax

Puerto Rico residents generally do not pay federal income tax on income earned within Puerto Rico, but they do contribute to Social Security and Medicare.

Taxes are administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda) and are based on a self-assessment system, requiring individuals and businesses to file annual tax returns when income thresholds are met.

For information about the filing taxes in Puerto Rico contact the Bureau of Income Tax at the following address:

Negociado de Asistencia

Contributiva y Legislación

Departmento de Hacienda

P.O. Box 565

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-6265

(787) 721-2020, ext. 3611

To obtain tax forms, contact the Forms and Publications Division Office at the above address or call (787) 721-2020, extensions 2643, 2645, or 2646 or visit the Internal Revenue Service web site.

These forms are also available online along with the other tax forms, instruction booklets, etc. To obtain these forms visit the Departmento de Hacienda web site.

Corporate Tax Rate
Up to 37.5% (18.5% base tax plus surtax depending on income level).

Personal Income Tax Rate
Up to 33% for the highest income bracket.

Tax Incentive Programs

Puerto Rico offers some of the most attractive tax incentive programs in the world, designed to attract businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs while spurring economic growth.

Key Benefits:

• Significant tax savings for qualifying businesses and individuals
• Streamlined application and approval process
• Combine U.S. legal framework with tax advantages
• No federal income tax on Puerto Rico-sourced income

Trade & Commerce (Exports and Imports)

Puerto Rico's strategic position makes it a key trade hub between the Americas

Exports: $59.787 billion (2022 est.)
$57.916 billion (2021 est.)
$62.237 billion (2020 est.)

Export Commodities:
Pharmaceuticals 55%
Medical equipment & supplies 15%
Electronics 9%
Chemicals 7%
Food & Beverages 5%
Other Products 9%

Export Partners:
US 75.7%, Netherlands 4.2%, Italy 2.9%, Belgium 2.8% and Spain 1.8%. (2019)

Imports: $51.509 billion (2022 est.)
$45.052 billion (2021 est.)
$44.513 billion (2020 est.)

Imports Commodities:
Chemicals 25%
Food Products 17%
Petroleum Products 15%
Machinery 13%
Transport Equipment 10%
Other Products 20%

Imports Partners: US 49.9%, Ireland 12.6%, Singapore 5.1%, South Korea 4.9% and Switzerland 4.0%. (2019)

External Debt: $56.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Public Debt: 51.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Debt - external: $56.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59

Revenues:
$31.3 billions (Consolidated Budget) (FY-2010)
increase $13.1 billions (Net Revenues, Commonwealth) (FY-2010)[11]

Expenses:
$29.1 billions (Consolidated Budget) (FY-2010)
decrease $10.2 billions (Commonwealth) (FY-2010)

Industries

Manufacturing accounts for 46.4% (2010) of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, electronics, apparel, food products, instrument, textiles, clothing, and tourism.

Manufacturing:
Puerto Rico's manufacturing sector has shifted from the original labor-intensive industries, such as the manufacturing of food, tobacco, leather, and apparel products, to more capital-intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, and electronics. Major manufacturing activities in the order in which they contribute to the manufacturing domestic income are chemical and allied products, machinery and metal products, food and kindred products, apparel and related products, printing and publishing, leather and leather products, stone, clay, and glass products, tobacco, paper and allied products, and textile mill products.
San Juan and Mayagüez are the leading centers for making clothing.

Manufacturing Average Hourly Earning: $7.85

Manufacturing Average Weekly Earning: $310.86

Percentage of Manufacturing Employment by Industry Group:
Chemical and allied products 18.2%, Apparel and other textile products 15.5%, Electronic 15.2%, Food and kindred products 13.2%, Instruments and related products 9.8%, Paper and related products 4.7%, all other manufacturing 23.3%

Resources: (1999)

Fuel Purchase: 35,631,482 barrels

Fish: 7,493,000 pounds
Total value: $16,791,000

Livestock: 38,680,000 pounds
Total value: $31,908,000

Minerals: Mining activities are limited to quarry operations

Electricity: Annual energy production: 20.9 billion kWh (2001)

Total capacity: 5390 megawatts/hour

Energy:
Oil is the dominant fuel in Puerto Rico's energy mix.

installed generating capacity: 6.18 million kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 15,203,140,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 2.5 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 94.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 3.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 1.361 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 1.502 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.(

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 79,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 18.999 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 3.774 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 11.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 3.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy Consumption per capita: 94.379 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Electricity Costs:
The cost of electrical services in the industrial sector depends on the consumption and the kind of service provided. (example for services provided under 50 KVA included below)

monthly charge = $5.00

energy per KW/hr = $0.065,

fuel adjustment charge per KW/hr = $0.034858

Industrial Production Growth Rate: -2.1% (2017 est.)

Tourism:
Number of tourists: 3.07 million (2018)
Receipts from visitors: U.S. $3.28 billion (2018)
Receipts per tourist: $1,070 (2018)

Agriculture:
Until 1955, agriculture constituted Puerto Rico's main economic sector. Sugar cane, mostly for export to the American market, was the main crop, followed by coffee and tobacco. Sugar cane production declined as prices remained low, agricultural labor migrated to the United States, and urban expansion took over much sugar cane land. Coffee production, taking place mostly in the mountainous areas away from the pressures of urban expansion and supported by guaranteed minimum prices, has remained stable. Tobacco production has virtually disappeared. Considerable expansion has occurred in the production of dairy products, beef, pork, eggs, and poultry, although significant amounts of these products are still imported, primarily from the United States. There is also production of fruits and garden vegetables as well as of starchy vegetables, such as bananas and plantains.

Today, agriculture accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 1% of GDP, concentrating primarily to crops which can be sold in the United States. Coffee is the most valuable crop, followed by vegetables, sugar cane, fruits (pineapples, plantains, bananas), milk, eggs, and livestock (cattle, chickens, pork).

Economic Aid: none

Economic Development:
Economic Development Administration (Administración de Fomento Económico) 787-758-4747
Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company 1-888-577-4326
Small Business Administration 787-766-5572

Books

• Economic History of Puerto Rico
• The Political Economy of Colonialism: The State and Industrialization in Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rico: The Trials of the Oldest Colony in the World
• Teodoro Moscoso and Puerto Rico's Operation Bootstrap

Other Resources

• Origins of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Crisis
• A Glance at Puerto Rico's Economy, September 2001, Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico (PDF)
• Economy at a Glance - Puerto Rico
• Gross State Product > Current Dollars (per capita) (most recent) by state
• Here's how Puerto Rico got into so much debt
• Poverty: 2008 and 2009 (PDF)
• Puerto Rico 1997 Economic Census of Outlying Areas Manufacturing - Issued March 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Economic Census (PDF)
• Puerto Rico 1997 Economic Census of Outlying Areas Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, Service Industries - Issued December 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Economic Census (PDF)
• Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources
• Puerto Rico Economic Indicators
• Puerto Rico Economic Indicators, July 2, 2003, Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico (PDF)
• Puerto Rico's Economic Trends & Outlook, June 2003, Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico (PDF)
• United States vs. Puerto Rico Quality of Life Comparison