The Office of the Governor has published the “Balance of Payments” report for 2013, containing 25 pages of financial tables and seven pages of related graphs. Among the key findings –
Investments have fallen or remained stagnant:
- External investments in the islands were $13.3 billion in 2008 and less than$5.7 billion in 2013.
- Short-term investments were about the same in 2008 and 2013.
- Income from external investments remained about the same throughout the period.
- The value of long-term investments decreased from $102.2 billion in 2011 to $88.8 billion in 2013.
- Puerto Rico’s external investments dropped from $38.9 billion in 2008 to $24 billion in 2013.
Federal support has grown significantly:
- Federal grants to government grew from $2.4 billion in 2004 to $3.8 billion in 2013.
- Assistance to and for individuals increased from $10.1 billion in 2004 to $17 billion in 2013.
- Agency spending is up from $959 million in 2004 to $1.7 billion in 2013.
Tourism has fallen, but may be beginning to show some recovery:
- Income from tourism grew steadily from $3 billion in 2004 to $3.5 billion in 2008, but then fell back to 2005 levels, and has been uneven since.
- 2013 saw an increase in income from tourism, but income is lower than 2006 levels.
- The number of tourists was lower in 2013 than in 2004.
- Travel spending by residents of Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico also grew until 2008, but then fell and has remained low, going from $1,213.3 million in 2008 to $781.9 million in 2013.
- 5,410,100 travelers arrived in 2004 and 4,401,900 in 2013.
Motion picture rentals increased from $15.4 million in 2004 to $16.7 million in 2013.
