Unemployment rate in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Unemployment rate was 5.99 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
5.99
Change on year
up 6.2%
World rank
76th
of 186 countries
All-time high
16.93
in 1992
All-time low
5.64
in 2024
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Puerto Rico, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Puerto Rico stood at 5.99.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.2% on the previous year and down 50.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Puerto Rico peaked at 16.93 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 5.64, in 2024.
Puerto Rico ranks 76th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.18 | — |
| 1992 | 16.93 | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 16.91 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 14.6 | -13.7% |
| 1995 | 13.93 | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 13.64 | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 13.8 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 13.46 | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 11.81 | -12.3% |
| 2000 | 10.08 | -14.6% |
| 2001 | 11.4 | +13.1% |
| 2002 | 11.94 | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 11.78 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 10.31 | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 11.35 | +10.1% |
| 2006 | 11.01 | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 10.93 | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 11.48 | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 15 | +30.7% |
| 2010 | 16.1 | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 15.7 | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 14.5 | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 14.3 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 13.9 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 12 | -13.7% |
| 2016 | 11.8 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 10.8 | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 9.2 | -14.8% |
| 2019 | 8.3 | -9.8% |
| 2020 | 8.89 | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 7.9 | -11.1% |
| 2022 | 6 | -24.1% |
| 2023 | 5.72 | -4.6% |
| 2024 | 5.64 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 5.99 | +6.2% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 5.99 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 5.99 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.99, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.58 | 11.81 | 16.93 | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.53 | 10.08 | 15 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.66 | 8.3 | 16.1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.69 | 5.64 | 8.89 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More work & labour data for Puerto Rico
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -2.24 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -2.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -2.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.36 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 142.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 521.69 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 473.93 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 995.62 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Puerto Rico?
- Unemployment rate in Puerto Rico was 5.99 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 16.93 in 1992.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.64 in 2024.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for unemployment rate?
- Puerto Rico ranks 76th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).