Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 37.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
37.2%
World rank
168th
of 178 countries
All-time high
42.3%
in 2005
All-time low
31.8%
in 1983
Years of data
35
1976–2020

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico, 1976–2020

0102030401976199820201976: 36.11977: 35.91978: 371979: 37.21981: 35.51982: 34.41983: 31.81984: 32.71985: 33.11986: 33.61987: 35.41988: 381990: 41.41991: 41.11992: 38.81993: 39.11995: 40.31996: 41.31997: 41.81998: 41.31999: 40.92000: 41.12002: 40.72003: 41.22004: 41.82005: 42.32006: 422007: 412008: 39.72009: 36.72010: 35.12011: 34.12012: 35.62015: 35.22020: 37.2

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico is 37.2%, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico peaked at 42.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 31.8%, in 1983.

That places Puerto Rico 168th out of 178 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in Puerto Rico, 1976 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1976 36.1%
1977 35.9% -0.6%
1978 37.0% +3.1%
1979 37.2% +0.6%
1981 35.5% -4.5%
1982 34.4% -3.3%
1983 31.8% -7.4%
1984 32.7% +2.7%
1985 33.1% +1.2%
1986 33.6% +1.7%
1987 35.4% +5.1%
1988 38.0% +7.5%
1990 41.4% +8.8%
1991 41.1% -0.7%
1992 38.8% -5.4%
1993 39.1% +0.6%
1995 40.3% +3.2%
1996 41.3% +2.4%
1997 41.8% +1.1%
1998 41.3% -1.1%
1999 40.9% -0.8%
2000 41.1% +0.3%
2002 40.7% -0.8%
2003 41.2% +1.2%
2004 41.8% +1.5%
2005 42.3% +1.1%
2006 42.0% -0.7%
2007 41.0% -2.4%
2008 39.7% -3.1%
2009 36.7% -7.6%
2010 35.1% -4.4%
2011 34.1% -2.8%
2012 35.6% +4.4%
2015 35.2% -1.1%
2020 37.2% +5.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 36.5% 35.9% 37.2% 4
1980s 34.3% 31.8% 38.0% 8
1990s 40.7% 38.8% 41.8% 9
2000s 40.7% 36.7% 42.3% 9
2010s 35.0% 34.1% 35.6% 4
2020s 37.2% 37.2% 37.2% 1

Countries ranked near Puerto Rico

  1. 165 Tunisia 38.5% compare
  2. 166 South Africa 37.6% compare
  3. 167 Iran, Islamic Republic of 37.6% compare
  4. 169 Algeria 36.9% compare
  5. 170 Nepal 35.7% compare
  6. 171 Naoero 35.4% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More work & labour data for Puerto Rico

All data for Puerto Rico →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico?
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico was 37.2% in 2020, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Puerto Rico?
The highest recorded value was 42.3% in 2005.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Puerto Rico?
The lowest recorded value was 31.8% in 1983.
How does Puerto Rico rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
Puerto Rico ranks 168th out of 178 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-total-percent-national-estimate/puerto-rico-us/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-total-percent-national-estimate/puerto-rico-us/">Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Puerto Rico</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 4,960 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.