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Dominican Republic
2024 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 1,031,858 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2020 est.)
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 (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.do
Internet users
[time series]
total: 9.35 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: the Dominican Republic s telecom sector continued its solid form throughout 2020 and into 2021, shrugging off the economic turmoil unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain a decade-long run of low but positive growth across all areas of the market; the Dominican Republic remains behind most of its counterparts in the Latin American region, especially in terms of fixed-line network coverage; mobile subscriptions are on par with the regional average, but at subscription levels of around 88% there is still ample opportunity for growth; in terms of growth, the standout winner was once again the mobile broadband segment; the market is expected to see close to 8% growth in 2021, building further on the gains it already made in 2020 when lock downs and work-from-home rules encouraged many people to find ways to upgrade their internet access and performance; the limited coverage of fixed-line broadband networks makes mobile the first, if not only, choice for most people in the country (2021) domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons; mobile cellular subscriptions 88 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 1-809; 1-829; 1-849; landing point for the ARCOS-1, Antillas 1, AMX-1, SAm-1, East-West, Deep Blue Cable 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) (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 1.144 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 10.15 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 90 (2022 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
sugarcane, bananas, papayas, plantains, rice, milk, avocados, watermelons, vegetables, pineapples (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Average household expenditures
[time series]
on food: 26.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 3.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $18.303 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $20.072 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Credit ratings
[time series]
Fitch rating: BB- (2016) Moody's rating: Ba3 (2017) Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2015) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance
[time series]
-$4.376 billion (2023 est.) -$6.549 billion (2022 est.) -$2.685 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Economic overview
[time series]
surging middle-income tourism, construction, mining, and telecommunications OECS economy; major foreign US direct investment and free-trade zones; developing local financial markets; improving debt management; declining poverty
Exchange rates
[time series]
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 56.158 (2023 est.) 55.141 (2022 est.) 57.221 (2021 est.) 56.525 (2020 est.) 51.295 (2019 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$25.843 billion (2023 est.) $25.169 billion (2022 est.) $20.601 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
medical instruments, gold, tobacco, power equipment, garments (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
[time series]
US 50%, Switzerland 8%, Haiti 7%, China 3%, India 3% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$121.444 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 64.7% (2023 est.) government consumption: 11.3% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 32.2% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: -0.9% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 21.1% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -28.5% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 6.4% (2023 est.) industry: 31.1% (2023 est.) services: 56% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
37 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.6% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 28.3% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports
[time series]
$34.455 billion (2023 est.) $36.838 billion (2022 est.) $28.69 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, plastic products, crude petroleum (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
[time series]
US 44%, China 15%, Brazil 4%, Colombia 3%, Spain 3% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
-0.07% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
[time series]
tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
4.79% (2023 est.) 8.81% (2022 est.) 8.24% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
[time series]
5.302 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Population below poverty line
[time series]
23.9% (2021 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Public debt
[time series]
37.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$261.616 billion (2023 est.) $255.582 billion (2022 est.) $243.74 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
2.36% (2023 est.) 4.86% (2022 est.) 12.27% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$23,100 (2023 est.) $22,800 (2022 est.) $21,900 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Remittances
[time series]
8.65% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.05% of GDP (2022 est.) 11.4% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$15.547 billion (2023 est.) $14.523 billion (2022 est.) $13.125 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
13.82% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate
[time series]
5.56% (2023 est.) 5.5% (2022 est.) 7.7% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 11.8% (2023 est.) male: 9.5% (2023 est.) female: 15.4% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
27.132 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 4.941 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 17.403 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 4.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Coal
[time series]
consumption: 2.188 million metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 5.9 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 2.188 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 5.573 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 19.087 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 2.448 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 98.1% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 98.8% electrification - rural areas: 95%
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 85.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) wind: 6.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
36.656 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
consumption: 2.44 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) exports: 96.479 million cubic meters (2022 est.) imports: 2.537 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
refined petroleum consumption: 134,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 25.26 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 8.1 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.) forest: 40.8% (2018 est.) other: 7.7% (2018 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
salt water lake(s): Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
23.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 860 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 660 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 7.56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,063,910 tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 333,241 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8.2% (2015 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total : 48,670 sq km land: 48,320 sq km water: 350 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Climate
[time series]
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Coastline
[time series]
1,288 km
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m mean elevation: 424 m
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); the second largest country in the Antilles (after Cuba); geographically diverse with the Caribbean's tallest mountain, Pico Duarte, and lowest elevation and largest lake, Lago Enriquillo
Irrigated land
[time series]
2,980 sq km (2018)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 376 km border countries (1): Haiti 376 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.) forest: 40.8% (2018 est.) other: 7.7% (2018 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
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
salt water lake(s): Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km
Map references
[time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
[time series]
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 measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
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
[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) etymology: named after Saint Dominic de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order
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]
history: many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 13 June 2015 amendments: proposed by a special session of the National Congress called the National Revisory Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority approval by at least one half of those present in both houses of the Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional articles, such as fundamental rights and guarantees, territorial composition, nationality, or the procedures for constitutional reform, also requires approval in a referendum
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Dominican Republic conventional short form: The Dominican local long form: Rep blica Dominicana local short form: La Dominicana former: Santo Domingo (the capital city's name formerly applied to the entire country) 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 (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Patricia AGUILERA (since 1 October 2023) embassy: Av. Republica de Colombia #57, Santo Domingo mailing address: 3470 Santo Domingo Place, Washington DC 20521-3470 telephone: (809) 567-7775 email address and website: SDOAmericans@state.gov https://do.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia GUZM N DE HERN NDEZ (since 18 January 2021) chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 email address and website: embassy@drembassyusa.org http://drembassyusa.org/ consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angelos, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020) head of government: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020) 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 a maximum of two consecutive terms); election last held on 19 May 2024 (next to be held on 21 May 2028) election results: 2024: Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona reelected president; percent of vote - Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 57.5%, Leonel Antonio FERN NDEZ Reyna (FP) 28.8%, Abel MART NEZ (PLD) 10.4%, other 3.3% 2020: Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona elected president in first round; percent of vote - Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 52.5%, Gonzalo CASTILLO Terrero (PLD) 37.5%, Leonel Antonio FERN NDEZ Reyna (FP) 8.9%, other 1.1% note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are ultramarine blue (hoist side) and vermilion red, and the bottom ones are vermilion red (hoist side) and ultramarine 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, ACS, 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, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, 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: Senate or Senado (32 seats; 26 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 6 members indirectly elected based upon province-wide party plurality votes for its candidates to the Chamber of Deputies; all members serve 4-year terms House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; 178 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method, 5 members in a nationwide constituency, and 7 diaspora members directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 19 May 2024 (next to be held on 21 May 2028) House of Representatives - last held on 19 May 2024 (next to be held on 21 May 2028) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 24, FP 3, APD 1, PPG 1, PRI 1, PRL 1, PRSC 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 142, FP 28, PLD 13, PRSC 2, other 5; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%; total National Congress percent of women NA%
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 heritage
[time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Colonial City of Santo Domingo
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
palmchat (bird); national colors: red, white, blue
Political parties
[time series]
Alliance for Democracy or APD Broad Front (Frente Amplio) Country Alliance or AP Dominican Liberation Party or PLD Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD Dominicans For Change or DXC Independent Revolutionary Party or PRI Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS Liberal Reformist Party or PRL (formerly the Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or PLRD) Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM National Progressive Front or FNP People's First Party or PPG People's Force or FP Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC
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 Europeans -- divided the island now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti 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 the Haitians conquered and ruled it 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 and 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, until international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the military is responsible for defending the independence, integrity, and sovereignty of the Dominican Republic; it also has an internal security role, which includes assisting with airport, border, port, tourism, and urban security, supporting the police in maintaining or restoring public order, countering transnational crime, and providing disaster or emergency relief/management; a key area of focus is securing the country s 217-mile (350-kilometer) long border with Haiti; the Army in recent years, for example, has assigned three of its six infantry brigades and some 10-12,000 troops to assist with security along the Haitian border; these forces complement the personnel of the Border Security Corps permanently deployed along the border; the Air Force and Navy also provide support to the Haitian border mission; the Army has a brigade dedicated to managing and providing relief during natural disasters; the military also contributes personnel to the National Drug Control Directorate, and both the Air Force and Navy devote assets to detecting and interdicting narcotics trafficking; the Navy conducts regular bilateral maritime interdiction exercises with the US Navy (2024)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic: Army of the Dominican Republic (Ejercito de la Rep blica Dominicana, ERD), Navy (Armada de Rep blica Dominicana or ARD; includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de la Rep blica Dominicana, FARD) (2024) note 1: in addition to the three main branches of the military, the Ministry of Defense directs the Airport Security Authority and Civil Aviation (CESAC), Port Security Authority (CESEP), the Tourist Security Corps (CESTUR), and Border Security Corps (CESFRONT); these specialized corps are joint forces, made up of personnel from all military branches in addition to civilian personnel; these forces may also assist in overall citizen security working together with the National Police, which is under the Ministry of Interior
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 55-60,000 Armed Forces personnel; up to 35,000 National Police (2024)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the military's equipment inventory comes largely from the US, with smaller quantities from such suppliers as Brazil and Spain (2024)
Military expenditures
[time series]
0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2019 est.)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
16-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (ages vary slightly according to the military service; under 18 admitted with permission of parents); recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens (2024) note: as of 2023, women made up approximately 18% of the active duty military
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 25.5% (male 1,402,847/female 1,358,833) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 3,667,584/female 3,563,848) 65 years and over: 7.6% (2024 est.) (male 395,345/female 427,400)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 5.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 3.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
17.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Child marriage
[time series]
women married by age 15: 9.4% women married by age 18: 31.5% (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
3% (2019)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
62.8% (2019)
Current health expenditure
[time series]
4.9% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
52.1% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 53.8 youth dependency ratio: 42.2 elderly dependency ratio: 11.6 potential support ratio: 8.6 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 98.3% of population rural: 91.7% of population total: 97.2% of population unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population rural: 8.3% of population total: 2.8% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
mixed 70.4% (Mestizo/Indio 58%, Mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.) note: respondents self-identified their race; the term "indio" in the Dominican Republic is not associated with people of indigenous ancestry but people of mixed ancestry or skin color between light and dark
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
1.06 (2024 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Spanish (official) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 72.6 years (2024 est.) male: 71 years female: 74.3 years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.5% male: 95.4% female: 95.6% (2022)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
107 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 29.2 years (2024 est.) male: 29.1 years female: 29.4 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
20.9 years (2013 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Net migration rate
[time series]
-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
27.6% (2016)
Physician density
[time series]
1.45 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Population
[time series]
total: 10,815,857 male: 5,465,776 female: 5,350,081 (2024 est.)
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)
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.76% (2024 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Evangelical 50.2%, Roman Catholic 30.1%, none 18.5%, unspecified 1.2% (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 97.4% of population rural: 91.3% of population total: 96.3% of population unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population rural: 8.7% of population total: 3.7% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 15 years (2017)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 10.6% (2020 est.) male: 14.6% (2020 est.) female: 6.5% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.15 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
[time series]
major transshipment point for cocaine shipments to the United States and Europe in the Caribbean; some drugs are consumed locally.
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 121,141 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2023) stateless persons: 133,770 (2016); 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 1890s as a cheap source of labor for sugar plantations; a May 2014 law passed by the Dominican Congress regularizes 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; the government has issued documents to thousands of individuals who may claim citizenship under this law, but no official estimate has been released
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore the Dominican Republic remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/dominican-republic/
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
32 (2024)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
HI
Heliports
[time series]
4 (2024)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 40 (2023) by type: container ship 1, general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 36
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Pipelines
[time series]
27 km gas, 103 km oil (2013)
Ports
[time series]
total ports: 17 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 7 very small: 6 size unknown: 2 ports with oil terminals: 7 key ports: Andres (Andres Lng Terminal), Las Calderas, Puerto de Haina, Puerto Plata, Punta Nizao Oil Terminal, San Pedro de Macoris, Santa Barbara de Samana, Santa Cruz de Barahona, Santo Domingo
Railways
[time series]
total: 496 km (2014) standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge
Roadways
[time series]
total: 19,705 km paved: 9,872 km unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)