THE FIRST AMHKICAN CENSUS OF PORTO RICO 



Tlietiiirprisiiig iiit'ixnuleranceof the white race, the deii,sit_vof tlie iJOpulation 

 au<l the evenness of its distribution throughout the island, the small number 

 living in cities, the insignificant jiercentage of tiie foreign-born, tiie unusually 

 large proportion of children, the small number of persons over45 years of age, 

 and the veiy liigh percentage of single persons (not including those living to- 

 gether as married), are the main facts revealed by the census of Porto Rico, taken 

 October 10, 189i), under the supervision of tlie War Department. The total 

 poi)ulation is 953,243. The average numl)er of persons to the stjuare mile, 264, 

 is about the same as tliat of Massachusetts, twice tiiat of New York, and seven 

 times that of Cuba. The evenness of settlement is especially remarkable, the 

 least settled district having .")8 persons to the square mile, about the same as 

 tiie density of Indiana. Only two cities have a j)opulation exceeding 25,000 — 

 .San Juan with 32,048 and Ponce with 27,952. While in Cuba 32.3 percent 

 and in the United States 29.2 per cent live in cities above 8,000, in Porto Rico 

 only 8.7 per cent live in cities of this size. Again, while in Cuba 47.1 per cent, 

 or nearly half the population, live in cities above 1,000, in Porto Rico only 21.4 

 per cent live in towns above 1,000. 



The })opulation would seem to be growing more rapidly than prior to 1860, 

 tiie decennial rate of increase between J887 and 1899 being 16.2 per cent, about 

 the same as that of Ohio and Tennes.see. The average increase of ])Oj)ulation 

 in the interior has been more rapid tlian tliat on the seacoast — explained by 

 the census e.^perts as being i)robably due to the depressed condition of the 

 sugar cane growing in the coast plains. 



Contrary to general expectation, Porto Rico contains a large preponderance 

 of native whites, 61.8 per cent of the total population. As this same revelation 

 occurred in the case of Cuba, it is a (juestion whether a like careful eiuimera- 

 tion of the Central American Republics, of Brazil, and Mexico, might not show 

 a larger number of white persons in each of these countries than is nsually 

 cre<lited to them. Children under ten years of age form 31 per cent of the 

 total population. Corresponding figures for the United States are 24 per cent 

 and for Cuba 22.7 per cent. Persons over 45 years of age in Porto Rico form 

 only 11.8 percent, while in the United States they form 17.2 per cent and in 

 Cul.ui 14.2 per cent, of the total popidation. Only three persons in every two 

 hundred are foreign Ijorn. 



Another interesting condition brought to light by the census is that the total 

 number of persons married and living together as married amounts to only 

 one-fourth of the population, whereas in the United States two-fifths of the 

 population are married. This may be partially explained by the large num- 

 ber of children, for 49.6 of the population are under eighteen years of age. 

 As in Cuba, the proportion of those living together as husband and wife by 

 mutual consent is very large, 8.9 per cent, while 16.6 per cent are married, 

 and, as in Cuba, the excessive expense of the marriage ceremony is the ex- 

 planation. Education is in a very backward condition. 77.4 of tho.se of ten 

 years and over not l^eing able to read or write and only seven attending 

 school out of every 200 children under ten years of age. 



