MigrantoImmigrants in Puerto Rico
215K foreigners live in Puerto Rico — 7% of the country's population
Immigrants in Puerto Rico by country
The 3 largest groups make up 92% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 144149 |
| Dominican Republic | 42387 |
| Cuba | 11420 |
| Colombia | 3650 |
| Spain | 2353 |
| Peru | 1892 |
| Mexico | 1655 |
| China | 1095 |
| Venezuela | 898 |
| Costa Rica | 835 |
| Argentina | 748 |
| Panama | 532 |
| Honduras | 480 |
| Dominica | 464 |
| Chile | 408 |
| Ecuador | 314 |
| Guatemala | 299 |
| US Virgin Islands | 231 |
| Germany | 196 |
| Haiti | 117 |
| El Salvador | 117 |
| Nicaragua | 91 |
| Italy | 74 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 68 |
| United Kingdom | 67 |
| France | 55 |
| Philippines | 54 |
| Canada | 46 |
| Brazil | 36 |
| Jordan | 34 |
| Japan | 32 |
| Vietnam | 24 |
| Bolivia | 22 |
| India | 19 |
| Guyana | 19 |
| Israel | 17 |
| Jamaica | 16 |
| Egypt | 13 |
| Portugal | 13 |
| Netherlands | 10 |
| Turkey | 7 |
| Thailand | 6 |
| Lebanon | 6 |
| Poland | 6 |
| South Korea | 4 |
By region of origin
67% of immigrants come from North America
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Key facts
Immigrants in Puerto Rico in numbers
The map of origins has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: China, Honduras, Haiti. China climbed from outside the top 20 to #8.
1 in 15 residents of Puerto Rico was born abroad
215K of 3.2M residents were born abroad — 6.7% of the population.
Immigrant population in Puerto Rico over time
Foreigners living in Puerto Rico, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 312915 |
| 1995 | 328497 |
| 2000 | 344921 |
| 2005 | 337632 |
| 2010 | 287931 |
| 2015 | 259070 |
| 2020 | 237898 |
| 2024 | 214979 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Puerto Rico, by year
| Year | Americans | Dominicans | Cubans | Colombians | Spaniards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 227483 | 37207 | 19579 | 3399 | 4542 |
| 1995 | 230426 | 49325 | 19293 | 3601 | 4168 |
| 2000 | 233924 | 61563 | 19054 | 3813 | 3806 |
| 2005 | 223949 | 66983 | 17039 | 4482 | 3281 |
| 2010 | 185814 | 63981 | 12882 | 4589 | 2344 |
| 2015 | 165147 | 57891 | 13321 | 3788 | 1816 |
| 2020 | 159515 | 46905 | 12637 | 4039 | 2604 |
| 2024 | 144149 | 42387 | 11420 | 3650 | 2353 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Puerto Rico
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Puerto Rico
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Puerto Rico?
Around 215K immigrants live in Puerto Rico — the world's #109 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Puerto Rico are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 7% of the population of Puerto Rico — that's 215K out of a total population of 3.2M.
Where do most immigrants in Puerto Rico come from?
Most immigrants in Puerto Rico come from USA, Dominican Republic and Cuba — these three countries account for about 92% of all immigrants.
How many Americans live in Puerto Rico?
Around 144.1K Americans live in Puerto Rico — about 67% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Puerto Rico growing?
No — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Puerto Rico has fallen from 259.1K to 215K, about 17%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Puerto Rico come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Puerto Rico. Their children born in Puerto Rico are not included.
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Living in Puerto Rico
See the full country overview