The Value of Federal Data for Puerto Rico GDP

Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology

Amy Filipek

October 26, 2023 
Outline

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• A Bit of History

• Overview of BEA’s Puerto Rico Data

• Behind the Scenes in Estimating GDP

• The Importance of Federal Data for BEA’s 

Puerto Rico GDP statistics
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.BEA.gov)

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BEA’s Puerto Rico GDP Program

Description:

• Produce estimates of nominal and inflation- adjusted (or real) GDP using modern statistical 

techniques

• Produce annual estimates for 2012 forward

• Use data sources produced by the federal 

government, the Puerto Rico government, and 

the private sector

History:

• Began as a special project in late 2018; now 

funded in BEA’s budget

• Prototype estimates published in early phases of 

project

• In September 2021, BEA published its first 

official statistics of Puerto Rico GDP

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Puerto Rico GDP, 2021

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Puerto Rico GDP

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Available on BEA’s website: 

https://www.bea.gov/resources/methodologies/summary-ofmethodologies-puerto-rico-gross-domestic-product
Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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Puerto Rico: Personal Consumption Expenditures

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U.S. Territories GDP Methodology

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Common Assumption

U.S. Territories methodology is like GDP by 

state

• It is currently not possible to estimate 

territorial GDP using the GDP by State 

methods

• National GDP is the starting point for the 

methodology used to estimate GDP by state

• BEA uses the income-based approach for GDP 

by state estimates

• The territories are: 

o Not included in national GDP 

o Not included in many of the data sources used to 

construct national and state GDP

Reality

U.S. Territories methodology is like national 

GDP

• BEA estimates each territory using currently 

available data, much of its administrative data 

from territorial governments

• BEA uses an expenditure-based methodology, 

which aggregates consumer spending, 

business investment spending, government 

spending, and net exports
Available Key Data Sources For Puerto Rico GDP

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Lags in Availability of Key Data Sources For Puerto Rico GDP

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Lags in Availability of Key Data Sources For Puerto Rico GDP

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Lags in Availability of Key Data Sources For Puerto Rico GDP

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Lags in Availability of Key Data Sources For Puerto Rico GDP

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The BEA Perspective

BEA strongly supports the inclusion of Puerto Rico in more federal 

government data sources.

The inclusion of Puerto Rico in more Census Bureau data would:

• result in improved annual GDP statistics for Puerto Rico by BEA 

• enable the production of more timely annual GDP statistics for Puerto Rico by BEA

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Top 5 Census Bureau Products That Would Benefit Puerto Rico GDP 

Estimates

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Census Bureau annual survey Improved source data for Puerto Rico GDP component

1 Annual Survey of Manufactures Private inventory investment

2 Government Finances Survey

Central government spending; municipal government spending; 

consumer spending

3 Services Annual Survey

Private inventory investment; consumer spending; 

exports of services

4 Annual Retail Trade Survey Private inventory investment; consumer spending

5 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey Private fixed investment in equipment

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BEA Contact Information 

Email us about BEA’s Puerto Rico GDP statistics at Territories@bea.gov.

Learn more about BEA’s Puerto Rico GDP statistics at

• www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-puerto-rico (English) or

• www.bea.gov/data/gdp/pib-de-puerto-rico (Spanish).

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