HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE INTELLIGENCE
Puerto Rico Hospital Demand Has Declined Faster Than Population
Published July 2026
Executive Summary
Puerto Rico hospital utilization declined more sharply than the Island’s population from 2011 through 2024. Patient days, ICU utilization, and hospital occupancy all weakened, indicating that inpatient demand changed for reasons extending beyond population decline alone.
01
Hospital patient days declined by approximately 18.5%.
1. Puerto Rico Population and Hospital Patient Days Index
Hospital patient days declined by 18.5%, compared with a population decline of 12.9%. Indexed to 2011, this chart shows that patient days weakened more sharply than Puerto Rico’s population. In the most recent year, hospitals reported approximately 1,884,528 inpatient days, while Puerto Rico’s population was approximately 3,203,295. The divergence suggests that inpatient utilization softened beyond what population decline alone would explain.
2. Puerto Rico ICU Patient Days
ICU patient days declined by 62.3% over the period. Hospitals reported approximately 18,373 ICU patient days in the most recent year. ICU volume offers a high-acuity utilization signal and provides additional context around the complexity of inpatient care demand.
3. Puerto Rico Hospital Occupancy
Reported occupancy declined by 9.8 percentage points from 2011 to 2024. In the most recent year, hospital occupancy was approximately 64.5%. This metric connects capacity and census, helping illustrate the extent to which bed supply is being utilized across Puerto Rico hospitals.
Population decline explains only part of the reduction in hospital utilization. Changes in care delivery, outpatient substitution, payer management, clinical practice, and demand patterns also appear to have materially affected inpatient activity. The decline in ICU days further suggests a substantial change in the volume or location of high-acuity care.
02
Puerto Rico’s population declined by approximately 12.9%.
03
ICU patient days declined by approximately 62.3%.
04
Hospital occupancy declined by approximately 9.8 percentage points, ending near 64.5%.