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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media; 1 state-owned TV network and a number of private TV networks; networks operate repeaters to extend signals throughout country; combination of state-owned and privately owned radio stations with more than 300 radio stations operating (2015)

Internet country code [time series]

.do

Internet users [time series]

total: 5.442 million | percent of population: 51.9% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network | domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of nearly 85 per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-809; 1-829; 1-849; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), Antillas 1, AMX-1, and the Fibralink submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 1,304,968 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 8.797 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 84 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

cocoa, tobacco, sugarcane, coffee, cotton, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Budget [time series]

revenues: $11.94 billion | expenditures: $11.5 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

0.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

14.88% (31 December 2015 est.) | 13.9% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Current account balance [time series]

-$1.299 billion (2015 est.) | -$2.026 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Debt - external [time series]

$25.71 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $26.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

47.1 (2013 est.) | 45.7 (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in construction, tourism, and free trade zones. The mining sector has also played a greater role in the export market since late 2012 with the commencement of the extraction phase of the Pueblo Viejo Gold and Silver mine. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment, a large informal sector, and underemployment remain important long-term challenges. | The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about 7% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and exports and reducing losses to the Asian garment industry. | The Dominican Republic's economy rebounded from the global recession in 2010-15, and the fiscal situation is improving. A tax reform package passed in November 2012, a reduction in government spending, and lower energy costs helped to narrow the central government budget deficit from 6.6% of GDP in 2012 to 2.6% in 2015. A liability management operation in January 2015, in which the government paid down over $4 billion of the country’s Petrocaribe debt at a discount of 52% with proceeds from the sale of $2.5 billion in global bonds, reduced the country’s debt load by approximately by 4% of GDP. Analysts project 6% GDP growth in 2016 and inflation within the Central Bank’s target of 4.0% � 1.0%, due to low oil prices, increased remittances, and continued expansion in the services sector based on growth in construction.

Exchange rates [time series]

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - | 45.052 (2015 est.) | 43.556 (2014 est.) | 43.556 (2013 est.) | 39.34 (2012 est.) | 38.232 (2011 est.)

Exports [time series]

$9.523 billion (2015 est.) | $9.899 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Exports - commodities [time series]

gold, silver, cocoa, sugar, coffee, tobacco, meats, consumer goods

Exports - partners [time series]

US 42.5%, Haiti 16.5%, Canada 8.1%, India 4.8% (2015)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$67.49 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$149.7 billion (2015 est.) | $139.9 billion (2014 est.) | $130.3 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 74

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 5.3% | industry: 33.2% | services: 61.5% (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$15,000 (2015 est.) | $14,200 (2014 est.) | $13,300 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 108

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

7% (2015 est.) | 7.3% (2014 est.) | 4.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 1.9% | highest 10%: 37.4% (2013 est.)

Imports [time series]

$16.86 billion (2015 est.) | $17.27 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Imports - commodities [time series]

petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners [time series]

US 42%, China 9.2%, Venezuela 5.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.5%, Mexico 4.4% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

8.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Industries [time series]

tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.8% (2015 est.) | 3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Labor force [time series]

5.012 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 14.4% | industry: 20.8% | services: 64.7% (2014)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$NA

Population below poverty line [time series]

41.1% (2013 est.)

Public debt [time series]

44.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 44.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$5.266 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $4.862 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Stock of broad money [time series]

$18.74 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $16.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$272 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $249.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$31.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $28.81 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$30.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $27.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$5.986 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.488 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

17.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Unemployment rate [time series]

14% (2015 est.) | 14.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

22 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Crude oil - imports [time series]

27,660 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - consumption [time series]

15.14 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

85.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

13.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

1.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

3.8 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - production [time series]

14 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 300,000 | electrification - total population: 98% | electrification - urban areas: 99% | electrification - rural areas: 97% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

1.069 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Natural gas - imports [time series]

1.069 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 132

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

116,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

54,920 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

25,390 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 48,670 sq km | land: 48,320 sq km | water: 350 sq km | country comparison to the world: 132

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate [time series]

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Coastline [time series]

1,288 km

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 424 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m | highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

19 00 N, 70 40 W

Geography - note [time series]

shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds makes up the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Irrigated land [time series]

3,070 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 376 km | border countries (1): Haiti 376 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 51.5% | arable land 16.6%; permanent crops 10.1%; permanent pasture 24.8% | forest: 40.8% | other: 7.7% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines | territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards [time series]

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

Natural resources [time series]

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land

Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Terrain [time series]

rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

10 regions (regiones, singular - region); Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma

Capital [time series]

name: Santo Domingo | geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Constitution [time series]

many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 26 January 2010; note - the Dominican Republic Government has a practice of promulgating a "new" constitution whenever an amendment is ratified (2016)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Dominican Republic | conventional short form: The Dominican | local long form: Republica Dominicana | local short form: La Dominicana | etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic)

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador James Walter BREWSTER, Jr. (since 9 December 2013) | embassy: Av. Republica de Colombia | mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500 | telephone: [1] (809) 567-7775 | FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Tomas PEREZ (since 23 February 2015) | chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 | FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 | consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico) | consulate(s): San Francisco

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012) | cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president | elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for consecutive terms); election last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: Danilo MEDINA Sanchez reelected president; percent of vote - Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (PLD) 61.7%, Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 35%, other 3.3%; Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (PLD) reelected vice president

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by a laurel branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes

Government type [time series]

presidential republic

Independence [time series]

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges); note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms | subordinate courts: courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government

Legal system [time series]

civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 26, 2PRM, 1 BIS, 1 PLRD, 1 PRD, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 106, PRM 42, PRSC 18, PRD 16, PLRD 3, other 5

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Himno Nacional" (National Anthem) | lyrics/music: Emilio PRUD'HOMME/Jose REYES | note: adopted 1934; also known as "Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valient Sons of Quisqueye); the anthem never refers to the people as Dominican but rather calls them "Quisqueyanos," a reference to the indigenous name of the island

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

National symbol(s) [time series]

palmchat (bird); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna] | Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado] | Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS | Liberal Reformist Party or PLRD | Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Andres BAUTISTA Garcia] | National Progressive Front [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO] | Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Carlos MORALES Troncoso]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania) | Collective of Popular Organizations or COP | Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice or FINJUS

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote

Introduction

Background [time series]

The Taino - indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of the Europeans - divided the island into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821 but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the US led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in the presidential election. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (first term 1996-2000) won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was later reelected to a second consecutive term. In 2012, Danilo MEDINA Sanchez became president; he was reelected in 2016.

Military and Security

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army (Ejercito Nacional, EN), Navy (Marina de Guerra, MdG; includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2013)

Military expenditures [time series]

0.61% of GDP (2012) | 0.63% of GDP (2011) | 0.61% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 121

Military service age and obligation [time series]

17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 27.06% (male 1,460,389/female 1,410,226) | 15-24 years: 18.3% (male 989,020/female 952,375) | 25-54 years: 39.54% (male 2,146,082/female 2,047,860) | 55-64 years: 7.67% (male 409,166/female 403,977) | 65 years and over: 7.43% (male 363,791/female 423,979) (2016 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

18.6 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

4% (2013) | country comparison to the world: 106

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

73% (2009/10)

Death rate [time series]

4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 57.8% | youth dependency ratio: 47.3% | elderly dependency ratio: 10.5% | potential support ratio: 9.5% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

2.1% of GDP (2007) | country comparison to the world: 163

Ethnic groups [time series]

mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.03% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

3,100 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

67,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

4.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 130

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 18.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 20 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 78.1 years | male: 75.9 years | female: 80.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 91.8% | male: 91.2% | female: 92.3% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: dengue fever | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

SANTO DOMINGO (capital) 2.945 million (2015)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

92 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Median age [time series]

total: 27.8 years | male: 27.6 years | female: 28 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

21.3 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Dominican(s) | adjective: Dominican

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

23% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 90

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population [time series]

10,606,865 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88

Population distribution [time series]

Population growth rate [time series]

1.21% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Sanitation facility access [time series]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 14 years (2014)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.31 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 31.4% | male: 22.2% | female: 46.7% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 79% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better work

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008)

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

stateless persons: 133,770 (2015); note - a September 2013 Constitutional Court ruling revoked the citizenship of those born after 1929 to immigrants without proper documentation, even though the constitution at the time automatically granted citizenship to children born in the Dominican Republic and the 2010 constitution provides that constitutional provisions cannot be applied retroactively; the decision overwhelmingly affected people of Haitian descent whose relatives had come to the Dominican Republic since the 1940s as a cheap source of labor for sugar plantations; a May 2014 law passed by the Dominican Congress will regularize the status of those with birth certificates but will require those without them to prove they were born in the Dominican Republic and to apply for naturalization | note: revised estimate includes only individuals born to parents who were both born abroad; it does not include individuals born in the country to one Dominican-born and one foreign-born parent or subsequent generations of individuals of foreign descent; the estimate, as such, does not include all stateless persons (2015)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

36 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 110

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 16 | over 3,047 m: 3 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 20 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 18 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

HI (2016)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2013)

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,463 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines [time series]

gas 27 km; oil 103 km (2013)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo | oil terminal(s): Punta Nizao oil terminal | LNG terminal(s) (import): Andres LNG terminal (Boca Chica)

Railways [time series]

total: 496 km | standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge | narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 115

Roadways [time series]

total: 19,705 km | paved: 9,872 km | unpaved: 9,833 km (2002) | country comparison to the world: 110