Openai/691890e6-86c0-800f-9db8-17e8b2b95bc7

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User: if Puerto Rico were to become a state, where it would rank in term of population and economy?

if Puerto Rico were to become a state, where it would rank in term of population and economy?

Assistant: If Puerto Rico were to become the 51st U.S.

If Puerto Rico were to become the 51st U.S. state, here’s how it would stack up in terms of population and economy, based on the latest available data.

Population

• Puerto Rico’s estimated population is about 3.23 million in 2025. Worldometer
• In the U.S., the ranking of states by population has the 50th (least-populated) states at numbers somewhat lower than that. For example, the 49th and 50th ranked states both have populations under ~600-700 thousand. StatsAmerica
• According to a list of states & territories by population (including Puerto Rico) the island’s population figure is shown as about 3.2 million, which corresponds roughly to the # 51 position (after the 50 states) in that list. Wikipedia
• If Puerto Rico became a state, it would likely be the least populated (or second-least) state in the U.S., roughly ahead of only the smallest states by population (or possibly behind depending on exact numbers). For simplicity: it would be around #50 or #51 in population among U.S. states.

Economy (Nominal GDP)

• Puerto Rico’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is roughly US$ ~118 billion in recent years. Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• For comparison, U.S. states’ GDPs: the lowest-GDP states (by nominal GDP) are in the tens of billions range. For example, one list shows that a U.S. territory with ~US$ 125 billion GDP is ranked at “#100” if it were treated like a country. Wikipedia
• A breakdown of states by GDP shows states like Vermont (~US$ 45.7 billion) and Wyoming (~US$ 53 billion) at the bottom. Wikipedia
• Thus, if Puerto Rico were treated as a state, with ~US$ 118 billion GDP, it would exceed those smaller-economy states and likely rank around the mid-40s to low-40s in GDP among the 50 states. For example, if the smallest states have GDPs ~45–60 billion, and states slightly higher have 100 billion+, then Puerto Rico’s ~118 billion would slot above those smallest few.

Summary Table

| Metric | Approximate Value | Approximate Rank among U.S. states | | ----------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------------- | | Population | ~3.2 million | ~50th (or possibly 51st if counted) | | Nominal GDP | ~US$ 118 billion | ~40-50th (among 50 states) |

Caveats

• These ranks assume current states’ populations and GDPs, and assume Puerto Rico becomes a state without significant immediate changes in population or economy.
• Population is declining in Puerto Rico, so future rank could shift. Wikipedia
• GDP values vary by year and method; comparing territories to states is not always apples-to-apples due to differences in measurement.
• Becoming a state might itself affect Puerto Rico’s economy (e.g., federal funding, regulatory changes) and population in ways that could alter its ranking.

If you’d like, I can pull together a detailed ranked list of all U.S. states by population & GDP and show exactly where Puerto Rico would slot in. Would you like that?