Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 5.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
5.6%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
87th
of 185 countries
All-time high
23.5%
in 1983
All-time low
5.6%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1971–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Puerto Rico, 1971–2025

510152025197119982025

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Puerto Rico recorded 5.6% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 53.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Puerto Rico peaked at 23.5% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2024.

That places Puerto Rico 87th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 15.3% 11.5% 19.7% 9
1980s 18.9% 14.6% 23.5% 10
1990s 14.8% 11.8% 17.1% 10
2000s 11.5% 10.2% 15.0% 10
2010s 12.7% 8.3% 16.0% 10
2020s 7.7% 5.6% 15.3% 6

Countries ranked near Puerto Rico

  1. 84 Azerbaijan 5.7% compare
  2. 85 Afghanistan 5.7% compare
  3. 86 Zambia 5.7% compare
  4. 88 Kenya 5.6% compare
  5. 89 Guam 5.4% compare
  6. 89 Slovakia 5.4% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Puerto Rico

All data for Puerto Rico →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Puerto Rico?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Puerto Rico was 5.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Puerto Rico?
The highest recorded value was 23.5% in 1983.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Puerto Rico?
The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2024.
How does Puerto Rico rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Puerto Rico ranks 87th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
Over the last ten years it is down 53.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Puerto Rico data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.