Dominican Republic

total: 1.26 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2023 est.)

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; over 300 state-owned and privately owned radio stations (2019)

.do

percent of population: 85% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 1.15 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions: 10.7 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 94 (2024 est.)

sugarcane, bananas, papayas, plantains, avocados, rice, milk, watermelons, vegetables, pineapples (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on food: 28.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 3.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

revenues: $20.418 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $24.348 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

-$4.167 billion (2024 est.) -$4.418 billion (2023 est.) -$6.549 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$35.044 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 59.565 (2024 est.) 56.158 (2023 est.) 55.141 (2022 est.) 57.221 (2021 est.) 56.525 (2020 est.)

$28.563 billion (2024 est.) $25.79 billion (2023 est.) $25.169 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

medical instruments, tobacco, gold, garments, power equipment (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 52%, Switzerland 7%, Haiti 6%, China 5%, India 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$124.282 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 67.7% (2024 est.) government consumption: 11.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.1% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0.9% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 22.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -29% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 4.5% (2024 est.) industry: 28.7% (2024 est.) services: 59.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

38.4 (2023 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 2.3% (2023 est.) highest 10%: 29.1% (2023 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$36.144 billion (2024 est.) $34.45 billion (2023 est.) $36.838 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, cars, natural gas, plastic products, crude petroleum (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 40%, China 18%, Brazil 4%, Spain 4%, Mexico 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

3% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

3.3% (2024 est.) 4.8% (2023 est.) 8.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

5.413 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

23% (2023 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

34.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

$276.884 billion (2024 est.) $263.82 billion (2023 est.) $258.16 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5% (2024 est.) 2.2% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$24,200 (2024 est.) $23,300 (2023 est.) $23,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

9% of GDP (2024 est.) 8.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$13.471 billion (2024 est.) $15.547 billion (2023 est.) $14.523 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

14.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

5.5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 5.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 11.7% (2024 est.) male: 9.2% (2024 est.) female: 15.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

consumption: 2.356 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 2.356 million metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 6.581 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 22.193 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 2.369 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 98.1% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 98.8% electrification - rural areas: 95%

fossil fuels: 82.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 5.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

39.329 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

consumption: 2.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 1.997 million cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 2.279 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 146,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

29.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 5.374 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 19.872 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 4.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

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

agricultural land: 55.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 20.2% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 23.8% (2023 est.) forest: 46.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

23.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 855 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 659.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 7.563 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.064 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.6% (2022 est.)

total : 48,670 sq km land: 48,320 sq km water: 350 sq km

slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

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

1,288 km

highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m mean elevation: 424 m

19 00 N, 70 40 W

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

2,981 sq km (2018)

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

agricultural land: 55.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 20.2% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 23.8% (2023 est.) forest: 46.6% (2023 est.) other: 0% (2023 est.)

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

salt water lake(s): Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km

Central America and the Caribbean

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 note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land

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)

rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys

31 provinces ( provincias , singular - provincia ), 1 district* ( distrito ); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajab n, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, El as Pi a, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Mar a Trinidad S nchez, Monse or Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Saman , S nchez Ram rez, San Crist bal, San Jos de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macor s, Santiago, Santiago Rodr guez, Santo Domingo, Valverde

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 Domingo de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order; the city's full name was originally Santo Domingo de Guzman

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

history: many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 13 June 2015 amendment process: 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

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 name is a latinized form of the Spanish term Santo Domingo , meaning "holy Sunday;" Spanish explorers originally settled the island on a Sunday in 1496, and the name was first given to the island of Hispaniola as a whole in 1697

chief of mission: Ambassador Leah F. CAMPOS (since 19 November 2025) 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/

chief of mission: Ambassador Mar a Isabel CASTILLO B EZ (since 11 June 2025) 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

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 election/appointment process: 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) most recent election date: 19 May 2024 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% expected date of next election: 21 May 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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

presidential republic

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary composed 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

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

legislature name: National Congress of the Republic (Congreso Nacional de la República) legislative structure: bicameral

chamber name: Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) number of seats: 190 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 5/19/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and its allies (146); People’s Force (FP) and its allies (28); Other (16) percentage of women in chamber: 37.4% expected date of next election: May 2028

chamber name: Senate (Senado) number of seats: 32 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 5/19/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and its allies (24); People’s Force (FP) and its allies (3); Other (5) percentage of women in chamber: 12.5% expected date of next election: May 2028

title: "Himno Nacional" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Emilio PRUD'HOMME/Jose REYES history: adopted 1934; also known as "Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valiant Sons of Quisqueye); the anthem refers to the Dominican people as Quisqueyanos, which comes from the ethnic name for the island

red, white, blue

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Colonial City of Santo Domingo

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

palmchat (bird)

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

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

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.

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, where the Army in recent years has assigned thousands of troops to assist with security; 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 (2025)

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) (2025) note 1: in addition to the three main branches of the military, the Ministry of Defense directs the Specialized Border Security Corps (CESFRONT), the Specialized Corps in Port Security (CESEP), and the Specialized Corps in Airport and Civil Aviation Safety (CESAC); these specialized corps are joint forces, made up of civilians and personnel from all the military branches; they may also assist in overall citizen security working together with the National Police, which is under the Ministry of Interior

approximately 55-60,000 Armed Forces; up to 35,000 National Police (2025)

the military's equipment inventory comes largely from the US, with smaller quantities from such suppliers as Brazil and Spain (2025)

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

17-early 20s for voluntary military service for men and women (ages vary depending on military service and position; under 18 admitted with permission of parents) (2025) note: as of 2024, women made up approximately 17% of the active-duty military

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)

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.)

17.4 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

women married by age 15: 9.4% (2019) women married by age 18: 31.5% (2019)

3% (2019 est.)

53.2% (2019 est.)

6.97 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 49.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 37.8 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 11.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 8.5 (2025 est.)

urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 96.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 3.2% of population (2022 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 20.9% national budget (2025 est.)

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

1.06 (2025 est.)

4.9% of GDP (2021) 14.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

total: 20.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19 deaths/1,000 live births

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.

total population: 72.6 years (2024 est.) male: 71 years female: 74.3 years

total population: 94% (2024 est.) male: 93.6% (2024 est.) female: 94.4% (2024 est.)

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

124 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 29.6 years (2025 est.) male: 29.1 years female: 29.4 years

20.9 years (2013 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican

-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

27.6% (2016)

2.43 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

total: 10,899,292 (2025 est.) male: 5,506,679 female: 5,392,613

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)

0.78% (2025 est.)

Evangelical 50.2%, Roman Catholic 30.1%, none 18.5%, unspecified 1.2% (2023 est.)

urban: 97.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 96.5% of population (2022 est.) urban: 2.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

total: 14 years (2022 est.) male: 13 years (2022 est.) female: 15 years (2022 est.)

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.)

total: 9.7% (2025 est.) male: 13.5% (2025 est.) female: 5.9% (2025 est.)

2.17 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

refugees: 1,004 (2024 est.) IDPs: 390 (2023 est.)

32 (2025)

HI

8 (2025)

total: 40 (2023) by type: container ship 1, general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 36

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

total: 496 km (2014) standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge