Puerto Rico statehood movement

The Puerto Rico statehood movement (Spanish: movimiento estadista de Puerto Rico) is a political movement which aims to make Puerto Rico a state of the United States. Currently, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated organized territory. Puerto Rico was acquired by the United States in 1898 following the US victory at the Spanish–American War .

As of 2023, the population of Puerto Rico is 3.2 million, around half the average state population and higher than that of 19 U.S. states. Statehood is one of several competing options for the future political status of Puerto Rico, including: maintaining its current status, becoming fully independent, or becoming a freely associated state. Puerto Rico has held seven referendums on the political status of the island: 1967 and 1993, which resulted in a Commonwealth victory, 1998, where "None of the above" was the winner, 2012, 2017, 2020 and 2024, the latter four resulted in a statehood win. Opponents of statehood disputed the legitimacy of those latter referendums.

In the 2020 referendum, the 55% turnout rate equaled that for the simultaneous 2020 gubernatorial race and the 2016 gubernatorial race. The most recent referendum was in 2024, with a majority (56.87%) of those who voted opting for statehood. The turnout rate increased to 57% and the vote for statehood to 57% over the 2020 referendum. However, at this referendum, the option to keep the current status was not on the ballot.

However, these referendums are non-binding, as the power to grant statehood lies with the United States Congress. Due to Puerto Rico's status, some have described it as "the oldest colony in the modern world".