Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 1.4 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 12.9% as of 2022.

Life

have 42.3% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 26.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 16.6% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 77.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Virgin Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2022.

Geography

see 62.5% less coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Virgin Islands, that number is 188 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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