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Economy of Puerto Rico

Economy - overview:Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again in 2006.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$75.82 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):NA (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:0.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$19,300 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (2002 est.)
Labor force:1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 3%
industry: 20%
services: 77% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:12% (2002)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):6.5% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)
Agriculture - products:sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
Industries:pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:24.14 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source:fossil fuel: 99.2%
hydro: 0.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:22.45 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:721.8 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:234,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:680 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:680 million cu m (2004 est.)
Exports:$46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities:chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners:US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2006)
Imports:$29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)
Imports - commodities:chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners:US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2006)
Debt - external:$NA
Economic aid - recipient:$NA
Currency (code):US dollar (USD)
Currency code:USD
Exchange rates:the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June

Puerto Rico Quickstats

  • Population: 3,944,259 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 13,790 sq km
  • Density: 434 /km² (21st)
  • GDP (total): $74.89 billion (68th)
  • GDP (per capita): $19,100 (N/A)
  • Literacy: 94.1%

Languages of Puerto Rico

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  • Currency: United States dollar (USD)
  • Dial code: +1-787 and +1-939

International Trade

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