Counting People in Puerto Rico
The United States has counted its population every 10 years since 1790, and Puerto Rico has been a part of this count since 1910.
The results of the census can help shape the future of your community. They help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding are used locally for new hospitals, housing and food assistance, emergency management and disaster relief, new schools, and more.
Monitoring COVID-19
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau has adjusted 2020 Census operations to protect the health and safety of our employees and the public, and to ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities based on guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities.
How To Respond
To complete the 2020 Census, you will answer a simple questionnaire about yourself and anyone who lives with you. The Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers. In fact, workers have sworn an oath for life to keep your information confidential.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Census Bureau has adjusted 2020 operations in Puerto Rico. Here's how the new timeline will work in Puerto Rico:
Did you know…
In 2010, the total population of Puerto Rico was 3,725,789.
Did you know…
In 2010, 52.5 percent of the population in Puerto Rico was made up of women. According to the census, there were 1,940,618 women, and 1,785,171 men.
- children
- population
- In early April, many households received a letter by mail from the Census Bureau, inviting them to respond. These letters provide a Census ID, which is essential for ensuring you are counted in the right place — where you usually live.
- If you received a letter, please respond online using the Census ID provided or call the toll-free number included.
- If you have not received a letter in the mail, the Census Bureau will drop off a census invitation and paper form beginning May 22nd. The invitation will include instructions for responding online or by phone, as well as a paper questionnaire. Please note that you must first receive an invitation, which will include the ID code, to properly complete your questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. When responding, you will be prompted for this ID code.
- If you are one of the few households that received census materials at your door before the Census Bureau had to delay hand delivering them to everyone, please respond online using the Census ID in the invitation or complete and mail back the paper form included in the packet.
- If you have already completed your 2020 Census without an ID code, the Census Bureau may follow up later if there are any questions.
- If you don't respond online, by phone, or by mail, a census taker will follow up to help you complete the 2020 Census.
Counting Everyone
When completing your census, you should count everyone who is living in your home on April 1, 2020. That means everyone who is living and sleeping there most of the time. This can include extended family members and friends who are living in your home.
We understand that you might have questions about whether to count someone as you fill out your questionnaire. Don’t worry: We have answers. Visit Who To Count to see how certain people are counted, including:
- Young children.
- People displaced by natural disasters.
- People living in temporary shelters.
Visit Counting People in Group Living Arrangements for more information on how the Census Bureau counts people in college dorms, shelters, nursing facilities, and more.
Need Help?
Contact the regional census center serving Puerto Rico.
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