Quality of Life Comparison


If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of United States, you would:


live 0.9 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Puerto Rico, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women).


spend 16.7% less on taxes

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6%. In Puerto Rico, the top tax rate is 33.0%.

make 37.3% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $37,300.

be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Puerto Rico, that number is 11.5%.


be 10.3% more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.4 children do.

have 35.2% less children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Puerto Rico, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people.


spend 20.0% more on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Puerto Rico spends 6.0% of total GDP on education.


see 97.5% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.

How big is Puerto Rico compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

The statistics on this page were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.


Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Puerto Rico. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.

Share this