Explore historical and projected climate data, climate data by sector, impacts, key vulnerabilities and what adaptation measures are being taken. Explore the overview for a general context of how climate change is affecting Puerto Rico.
This page presents high-level information for Puerto Rico's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Puerto Rico's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
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The archipelago of Puerto Rico includes the main island of Puerto Rico (the smallest of the Greater Antilles) and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. The total area of the main island is 9,105 km2. According to the 2010 census, Puerto Rico had a population of 3,725,789, a 2.2% decline compared to the year 2000. Puerto Rico's GDP (PPP) is estimated at $130 billion (2017) with industry contributing 50.1%, services 49.1% and agriculture 0.8%. Until 2006, Puerto Rico's economy was one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. However, since the first quarter of 2006, the economy of Puerto Rico has been contracting leading to a reduction in job opportunities. As a result, there has been an increase in outmigration.
Puerto Rico is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its geographical location. In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the territory and caused an extensive loss of infrastructure, electrical power outages to 90% of the territory, and contamination of potable water. Economic damages and losses from Hurricane Maria amount to $43 billion. In November 2018, the Puerto Rico Pledge for Climate Change was announced. Benchmarks under this initiative include: 100% renewables by 2050 (40% by 2023); increasing reforestation efforts; 50% reduction in carbon footprint in the next 5 years; and Climate Change Education.
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