In Puerto Rico, the cost of living is 2.2% above the US average, and studies show that only 10% of households on the island reach the middle class. The main challenge facing the middle class is its accelerating weakening, driven by the high cost of living and a disproportionate burden of basic services and taxes.
The minimum wage remains at $10.50 an hour. Economist José Toral explained that ending the middle class would shut down economic development, adding that it could take up to nine years for the economy to start running again. Sociologist Luis Cintrón denounced the government’s inaction in taking on its role to remedy the problem.
Statistics divide the middle class into three groups: lower middle class, a family earning between $35,000 and $49,000; regular middle class, a family earning between $50,000 and $74,000; and upper middle class, a family averaging between $75,000 and $149,000. Some studies indicate that only 10% of the country’s households fall into that last category.