Food Affordability

Higher Food Prices and Lower Income

Puerto Rico faces a complex food security environment shaped by higher food prices and lower income levels compared with the United States.

20%

Higher Food Prices

Food prices in the Puerto Rico metropolitan area were 20% higher than in metropolitan areas of the United States during the second quarter of 2022.

Source: CCER, cited by IEPR, 2022

56%

Lower Median Income

Puerto Rico’s median income in 2021 was approximately 56% lower than the median income reported for the United States.

Source: American Community Survey, 2022

Median Income Comparison

Comparación de la mediana de ingresos en 2021

Puerto Rico

$17,798

Median income in 2021

United States

$40,310

Median income in 2021

English — Understanding the Challenge

The Challenge

Puerto Rico faces a complex food security environment characterized by relatively high food prices and substantially lower income levels compared with the United States.

Higher food costs reduce the purchasing power of households, particularly among families with limited economic resources. Lower income levels can further restrict access to nutritious, diverse and sufficient food.

Together, these conditions demonstrate the importance of developing accessible data tools that help researchers, policymakers, students and members of the public better understand food affordability and food security in Puerto Rico.

Español — Comprendiendo el Reto

El Reto

Puerto Rico enfrenta un contexto complejo de seguridad alimentaria caracterizado por precios de alimentos relativamente altos y niveles de ingreso considerablemente menores en comparación con los Estados Unidos.

Los costos más elevados de los alimentos reducen el poder adquisitivo de los hogares, particularmente entre las familias con recursos económicos limitados. Los menores niveles de ingreso también pueden restringir el acceso a alimentos nutritivos, variados y suficientes.

En conjunto, estas condiciones demuestran la importancia de desarrollar herramientas de datos accesibles que permitan a investigadores, formuladores de política pública, estudiantes y miembros del público comprender mejor la asequibilidad de los alimentos y la seguridad alimentaria en Puerto Rico.