Where children are born can affect their chances for a strong start in life. Babies need good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences to foster their healthy brain development and help them realize their full potential.
This new profile provides a brief summary description of the demographics of Puerto Rico's infants and toddlers; and a snapshot of how they and their families are faring in each of the three policy domains wherever the data are available in the Yearbook's sources. Within each domain, view data for the available child and family indicators compared to U.S. national averages. Although currently limited data are available for Puerto Rico's profile, the indicators of well-being and policies offer context for exploring what may be very different experiences of the territory’s youngest children; and highlight the need for better data collection and reporting on all of America's babies and families.
Demographics
Infants and toddlers in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is home to 59,865 babies, representing 1.8 percent of the territory’s population. As many as 82.4 percent live in households with incomes less than twice the federal poverty line (in 2021, about $55,000 for a family of four1), placing them at economic disadvantage.
to see selected indicators by subgroup.
*Numbers are small; use caution in interpreting.
**Subset of "In Poverty"
Good Health
In Puerto Rico
How are Puerto Rico's babies faring in Good Health?
Supporting babies’ and mothers’ physical and mental health provides the foundation for infants’ lifelong physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. Babies’ brains grow rapidly in the first years of life, and, in these early years, the brain works with other organs and organ systems to set the stage for subsequent development and health outcomes. Equitable access to good nutrition during the prenatal period and first years of life is key to ensure that babies receive the nourishment and care they need for a strong start in life. Strengthening equitable access to integrated, affordable maternal, pediatric, and family health care is also essential to meeting babies’ and families’ health and developmental needs.
There are few indicators on which Puerto Rico’s health data can be compared to states because they are not reported in the Yearbook’s data sources. Therefore, the territory is not ranked for the Good Health or other domains. Among the available indicators of maternal and child health, Puerto Rico performs better than national averages on the percentage of uninsured babies in families with low incomes and babies ever breastfed. The territory is performing worse than national averages on the percentage of babies breastfed at 6 months and babies receiving recommended vaccinations.
Key Indicators of Good Health
to see selected indicators by
subgroup.
Good Health Policy in Puerto Rico
All Good Health Indicators for Puerto Rico
Strong Families
In Puerto Rico
How are Puerto Rico's babies faring in Strong Families?
Young children develop in the context of their families, where stability, safety, and supportive relationships nurture their growth. All families may benefit from parenting supports, but families with low income and in historically marginalized communities of color face additional challenges that impact their babies’ immediate and future well-being. Many policies can be designed to address these disparities by race, ethnicity, and income, including the provision of safe and stable housing, home visiting services, family-friendly employer policies, economic support for families with low income, and tax credits that benefit families with young children.
There are only two indicators in the Strong Families domain on which Puerto Rico’s data can be compared to states because they are not reported in the Yearbook’s data sources. Therefore, the territory is not ranked in this or other domains. For these two indicators, Puerto Rico performs better than national averages on the percentage of babies living in crowded housing and the infant/toddler maltreatment rate. Data are not available to identify indicators on which Puerto Rico is performing worse than national averages.
Key Indicators of Strong Families
to see selected indicators by
subgroup.
Strong Families Policy in Puerto Rico
All Strong Families Indicators for Puerto Rico
Positive Early Learning Experiences
In Puerto Rico
How are Puerto Rico's babies faring in Positive Early Learning?
Infants and toddlers learn through interactions with the significant adults in their lives and active exploration of enriching environments. The quality of babies’ early learning experiences at home and in other care settings can impact their cognitive and social-emotional development as well as early literacy. High-quality early childhood care can strengthen parents’ interactions with their children in the home learning environment and support parents’ ability to go to work or attend school. Equitable access to high-quality care across factors like race, ethnicity, and income, ensures all infants and toddlers have the opportunity for optimal development. However, disparities in access to high-quality care remain across many states and communities in the United States.
There are only two indicators in the Positive Early Learning Experiences domain on which Puerto Rico’s data can be compared to states because they are not reported in the Yearbook’s data sources. Therefore, the territory is not ranked in this or other domains. For these two indicators, Puerto Rico performs worse than national averages on the percentage of babies in families with incomes equal to or below 150 percent of the state median income who received a child care subsidy and babies in families below 100 percent of the federal poverty line with access to Early Head Start. Data are not available to identify indicators on which Puerto Rico is performing better than national averages.
Key Indicators of Positive Early Learning Experiences
to see selected indicators by
subgroup.
Positive Early Learning Experiences Policy in Puerto Rico
All Positive Early Learning Experiences Indicators for Puerto Rico
a. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Census Population Estimate for 2020. Index of /programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2020/state/totals and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Census Vintage Population Estimates for 2020. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-detail-puerto-rico.html
b. Source: Census Bureau, 2021, Quick Facts: Puerto Rico. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/PR