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 164th out of 215 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.
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
- 161 Montenegro 214,303 compare
- 162 Gabon 205,177 compare
- 163 Samoa 180,913 compare
- 165 Uruguay 147,108 compare
- 166 Saint Lucia 127,732 compare
- 167 Cape Verde 117,962 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Puerto Rico
- Rural population 5.7% (2025)
- Rural population growth -2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 0.7% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 887.20 million current US$ (2025)
- Land under cereal production 1,094 hectares (2023)
- Cereal yield 3,612 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal production 3,952 metric tons (2023)
- Fertilizer consumption 36.69 kilograms per hectare of arable land (2023)
- Land area 8,870 sq. km (2023)
- Agricultural land 1,689 sq. km (2023)
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 164th out of 215 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
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.