# Buying a Business in Puerto Rico: SBA Lending

Change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) approvals in Puerto Rico, FY2020 through FY2025. Every figure is read from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026).

Also on this site: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending
Source: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending/puerto-rico
Last checked: 2026-10-02

## The Numbers

- Loans since FY2020: 42, $14,686,100 approved in total
- FY2025 loans: 7, $2,417,500 approved
- Median loan: $192,500
- Share of national acquisition lending: 0.1%

## The Most Active Lenders in Puerto Rico

Ranked by change-of-ownership loans written in the covered years. A bank high here is a bank that has already said yes to this kind of deal in this state.

1. Oriental Bank: 24 loans
2. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico: 11 loans
3. FirstBank Puerto Rico: 4 loans
4. Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico: 2 loans
5. First Business Bank: 1 loans

## What Gets Financed in Puerto Rico

- Pharmacies and Drug Retailers: 7 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants: 4 loans
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers): 3 loans
- Hardware Retailers: 3 loans
- Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance: 3 loans

## Method and Source

- SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026): https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia
- Coverage: FY2020 through FY2025
- Segment: SBA 7(a) approvals with BusinessAge "Change of Ownership"

Site index for machines: https://searchspheresource.com/llms.txt