Home to more than 11 million people, a youthful population, and a bustling capital that draws millions, the Dominican Republic is a nation defined by vibrant urban life, dynamic demographics, and an economy increasingly powered by tourism and services.
Key Takeaways
- The Dominican Republic has a population of 11,190,275 as of July 2024.
- Age structure shows 0-14 years: 25.52% (male 1,449,028/female 1,399,699) as of 2024.
- 15-64 years age group comprises 65.57% (male 3,657,870/female 3,661,579) of the population in 2024.
- GDP (purchasing power parity) for 2023 was $282.84 billion.
- GDP (official exchange rate) $121.077 billion (2023 est.).
- GDP real growth rate 2.4% (2023 est.), 4.8% (2022 est.), 5.6% (2021 est.).
- Total area of Dominican Republic is 48,671 sq km.
- Land area: 48,321 sq km (99.1% of total area).
- Water area: 350 sq km (0.9% of total area).
- Obesity adult prevalence rate 30.8% (2016).
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight 3.3% (2019).
- Education expenditures 4% of GDP (2020).
- Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP): 4.24% (2021).
- School enrollment, primary (% gross): 107.84% (2021).
- School enrollment, secondary (% gross): 71.86% (2021).
The Dominican Republic is a rapidly urbanizing, middle-income Caribbean nation with a young population.
Demographics
- The Dominican Republic has a population of 11,190,275 as of July 2024.
- Age structure shows 0-14 years: 25.52% (male 1,449,028/female 1,399,699) as of 2024.
- 15-64 years age group comprises 65.57% (male 3,657,870/female 3,661,579) of the population in 2024.
- 65 years and over: 8.91% (male 442,701/female 579,398) in the Dominican Republic as of 2024.
- Median age total: 30.1 years, male: 29.4 years, female: 30.8 years in 2024.
- Population growth rate is 0.85% annually as of 2024 estimates.
- Birth rate is 17.6 births/1,000 population in 2024.
- Death rate is 6.6 deaths/1,000 population in 2024.
- Net migration rate is -2 migrant(s)/1,000 population in 2024.
- Urbanization: urban population 84.4% of total population (2024), rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.).
- Santo Domingo (capital) population 3.313 million (2024).
- Santiago de los Caballeros major urban area has 1.233 million residents (2024).
- Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.4 years, male: 72.3 years, female: 76.6 years (2024 est.).
- Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2024 est.).
- Drinking water source: improved: urban: 98.7% of population, rural: 89.4% of population, total: 97.3% of population (2020 est.).
- Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 94.2% of population, rural: 81.8% of population, total: 92.4% of population (2020 est.).
- Ethnic groups: mixed 70.4% (mestizo/indio 58%, mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2022 est.).
- Languages: Spanish (official), English used in tourist areas (2024).
- Religions: Roman Catholic 48.2%, Evangelical Protestant 21.1% (Pentecostal 9.9%, other 11.2%), other Christian 2.7%, other 1.3%, Jewish 0.2%, none 26.2% (2022 est.).
- Sex ratio: at birth 1.04 male(s)/female, 0-14 years 1.04 male(s)/female, 15-64 years 1 male(s)/female, 65 years and over 0.76 male(s)/female, total population 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.).
- Infant mortality rate total: 21 deaths/1,000 live births, male: 23.2 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.).
- Mother's mean age at first birth: 21.8 years (2019 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio: 92 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.).
- Contraceptive prevalence rate: 65.7% (2019), note: percent of women aged 15-49.
- Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 46.7 (2020 est.), youth dependency ratio: 35.5 (2020 est.), elderly dependency ratio: 11.2 (2020 est.).
- Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write, total population: 95.5%, male: 95.3%, female: 95.7% (2021).
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years, male: 14 years, female: 16 years (2019).
- Unemployment youth ages 15-24 total: 27.3%, male: 24.3%, female: 31.6% (2021 est.).
- Population distribution: population is heaviest around Santo Domingo and Santiago
- Major urban areas pop: Santo Domingo 3.313 million, Santiago 1.233 million, Santo Domingo Este 1.137 million (2024).
Demographics Interpretation
The Dominican Republic is a nation of youthful energy and steady urban growth, though it carries the weight of ensuring its promising demographic transition translates into broad-based prosperity and equality.
Economy
- GDP (purchasing power parity) for 2023 was $282.84 billion.
- GDP (official exchange rate) $121.077 billion (2023 est.).
- GDP real growth rate 2.4% (2023 est.), 4.8% (2022 est.), 5.6% (2021 est.).
- GDP per capita (PPP) $25,400 (2023 est.)
- GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 5.5% (2021 est.), industry: 32.7% (2021 est.), services: 61.8% (2021 est.).
- GDP composition by end use: household consumption: 75.3% (2017 est.), government consumption: 14.2% (2017 est.), investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2017 est.), investment in inventories: 0.6% (2017 est.), exports of goods and services: 35.4% (2017 est.), imports of goods and services: -51.8% (2017 est.).
- Agricultural products: sugarcane, bananas, plantains, rice, cacao, coffee, mangoes, papayas, tomatoes, oranges
- Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2023 est.)
- Labor force: 5.194 million (2023 est.)
- Labor force by occupation: agriculture: 14.4%, industry: 20.8%, services: 64.7% (2021 est.).
- Unemployment rate: 6.2% (2023 est.), 5.3% (2022 est.)
- Population below poverty line: 23.5% (2021 est.)
- Gini index: 42.5 (2021 est.)
- Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4%, highest 10%: 36.1% (2019 est.).
- Public debt: 59.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues: 14.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Budget: revenues: $8.187 billion (2021 est.), expenditures: $9.209 billion (2021 est.).
- Current account balance: -$5.904 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports: $27.46 billion (2023 est.), major partners US 47%, Switzerland 11%, China 6%, India 5%, Netherlands 5% (2022).
- Imports: $34.81 billion (2023 est.), major partners US 44%, China 13%, Mexico 7%, Brazil 5% (2022).
- Exports partners: gold, medical instruments, cigars, electrical machinery, scrap aluminum, bananas (2021).
- Imports partners: petroleum oils, natural gas, cars, corn, crude petroleum (2021).
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $17.21 billion (31 December 2023 est.)
- Debt external: $48.17 billion (31 December 2023 est.)
- Exchange rates: 58.85 Dominican pesos (DOP) per US$1 (2023 avg)
- Fiscal year: calendar year.
- Tourism contributes 16.5% to GDP and supports 2.2 million jobs (pre-pandemic data).
- Remittances inflow $10.8 billion (8.9% of GDP) in 2022.
- Inflation rate 4.8% (2023 est.).
Economy Interpretation
The Dominican Republic's economy, like a well-made rum punch, is a potent and popular mix—powered by tourism, remittances, and a growing service sector, yet its sweetness is tempered by a bitter aftertaste of inequality, debt, and a persistent trade deficit.
Education
- Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP): 4.24% (2021).
- School enrollment, primary (% gross): 107.84% (2021).
- School enrollment, secondary (% gross): 71.86% (2021).
- School enrollment, tertiary (% gross): 48.74% (2021).
- Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above): 95.46% (2021).
- Pupil-teacher ratio, primary: 26.54 (2021).
- Trainee teacher (% of total teachers), primary: 1.45% (2021).
- Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school-age children): 92.77% (2021).
- Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita): 13.98% (2021).
- Primary school teachers trained (% of total primary teachers): 74.05% (2021).
- Youth (15-24 years) literacy rate (%): male 98.1%, female 98.7% (2021).
- Tertiary inbound mobility rate: 1.47% (2020).
- Official entrance age (years), primary: 6 (2021).
- Official entrance age (years), lower secondary: 12 (2021).
- Official development assistance received per capita ($): 11.95 (2021).
- Children out of school, primary (%): 7.23% (2021).
- Completion rate, primary (% of relevant age group): 92.77% (2021).
- Progression to last grade of primary (%): 97.23% (2021).
- Over-age primary students (% of primary enrollment): 12.45% (2021).
- Starting age (years), primary: 6 (2021).
- Ending age (years), primary: 12 (2021).
- Duration (years), primary: 6 (2021).
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years): 6 (2021).
Education Interpretation
The Dominican Republic's education system is a tale of two realities: it successfully herds nearly all its youth into primary classrooms and achieves near-universal literacy, yet it struggles to keep them there on time and fully equipped, hinting at a system that's wide open at the gate but a bit threadbare inside.
Geography
- Total area of Dominican Republic is 48,671 sq km.
- Land area: 48,321 sq km (99.1% of total area).
- Water area: 350 sq km (0.9% of total area).
- Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey.
- Land boundaries: total 376 km with Haiti.
- Coastline: 1,288 km.
- Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm, contiguous zone: 24 nm, exclusive economic zone: 200 nm.
- Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal hurricane belt.
- Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys and broad coastal plains.
- Elevation: mean elevation 612 m, lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m, highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m.
- Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land.
- Land use: agricultural land: 51% (2018 est.), arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.), permanent crops: 9.4% (2018 est.), permanent pasture: 25.1% (2018 est.).
- Forest area: 40.8% (2018)
- Irrigated land: 2,805 sq km (2012)
- Major renewable energy resources: solar, wind, hydro.
- Major watersheds (area): Caribbean Sea drainage: 483,272 sq km.
- Major aquifers: Hispaniola.
- Population distribution heavily concentrated around Santo Domingo; massive resettlement from rural to urban areas since late 20th century.
- Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts.
- Volcanism: Punta Tina (1,248 m) is the DR's only historically active volcano.
- Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic).
- Environment - current issues: water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation.
- Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions 23.53 micrograms per cubic meter (2019).
- Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season (May to November); arid season (December to April).
- Total renewable water resources: 23.6 billion cubic meters (2020).
- Freshwater withdrawal: total: 2.69 billion cubic meters/year (23%/76%/1%)
- Largest lakes: Lago Enriquillo (saltwater lake, lowest point in Caribbean).
- Largest rivers: Yaque del Norte, Yuna.
- Protected areas: 25 national parks
- Highest mountain Pico Duarte in Cordillera Central at 3,098 m.
- Lowest point Lago Enriquillo at -45 m below sea level.
Geography Interpretation
The Dominican Republic is a geographically dramatic nation where nearly half the island is either climbing towards the sky at Pico Duarte or sinking below sea level at Lago Enriquillo, all while trying to balance its bountiful resources against the dual threats of hurricanes and human pressure.
Government
- Chiefs of State and Cabinet President: Luis ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020).
- Vice President: Raquel PENA (since 16 August 2020).
- Cabinet appointed by the president.
- Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for two consecutive terms).
- Election results 2024: Luis ABINADER Corona elected president; Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM.
- Legislature: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Senate or Senado (32 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; 178 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 32 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 5 directly elected by proportional representation vote to represent Dominicans living abroad; members serve 4-year terms).
- Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of 16 magistrates and a president); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members and a president); Superior Administrative Court (consists of president and 20 judges divided into 6 specialized chambers).
- Political parties and leaders: Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or FA [Fidelio DESPAIGNE]; Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Abel MARTINEZ Durán]; Institutional Social Democratic Bloc Party or BIS or Bloque Institucional Socialdemócrata [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Carolín MEJÍA].
- International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), 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, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, 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 (observer).
- Constitution amended many times; last significant amendment promulgated 2015.
- Citizenship by birth: yes, citizenship by descent only: yes, dual citizenship recognized: yes, residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years.
- Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote.
- Independence 27 February 1844 (from Haiti).
- National holiday Independence Day, 27 February (1844).
- Legal system: civil law system based on the French civil code.
- Administrative divisions 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Duarte, El Seibo, Elías Piña, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monseñor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Samaná, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde.
- Dependent areas none.
- Flag description three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and blue with a white five-pointed star within a white circle centered in the red band; blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes.
- National symbol(s) tawny palmiste palm; national colors: red, white, blue.
- National anthem name: "Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valiant Quisqueyans).
- Diplomatic representation US Ambassador: Patricia PACHT (since 25 April 2023).
- Electricity access: electrification total population: 99.4% (2022), urban areas: 99.7%, rural areas: 98.6% (2022).
- Electricity consumption: 15.22 billion kWh (2020 est.).
- Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total: 27.3%, male: 24.3%, female: 31.6% (2021 est.).
Government Interpretation
The Dominican Republic boasts a stable, modern democracy with a robust political structure and extensive global ties, but it must still grapple with the stark reality that over a quarter of its young people are without work.
Health
- Obesity adult prevalence rate 30.8% (2016).
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight 3.3% (2019).
- Education expenditures 4% of GDP (2020).
- Hospital bed density 1.6 beds/1,000 population (2018).
- Physicians density 2.12 physicians/1,000 population (2020).
- HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate <0.1% (2022 est.).
- HIV/AIDS people living with 67,000 (2022 est.).
- HIV/AIDS deaths <1000 (2022 est.).
- Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high (2023), food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria, water contact disease: leptospirosis.
- Tobacco use total: 5.8% of adults (2020 est.), male: 10.3%, female: 1.3% (2020 est.).
- Alcohol consumption per capita total: 6.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.), beer: 3.35 L, wine: 0.06 L, spirits: 2.52 L, other alcohols: 0.79 L (2019 est.).
- Improved sanitation facilities: urban: 94.2% of population, rural: 81.8% of population, total: 92.4% of population (2020 est.).
- Improved drinking water sources: urban: 98.7% of population, rural: 89.4% of population, total: 97.3% of population (2020 est.).
- CO2 emissions 37.092 million metric tonnes (2020 est.).
- CO2 emissions per capita 3.41 metric tonnes (2020 est.).
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection rate decreased to 0.6% among adults aged 15-49 in 2022.
- Tuberculosis death rate (per 100,000 population): 3.5 (2022 est.).
- Diabetes prevalence 8.2% among adults (2014).
- Road traffic death rate (per 100,000 population): 28.7 (2019).
- Hepatitis B child vaccination rate 92% (2021).
- Polio vaccination rate (DTP3) among 1-year-olds: 92% (2021).
- Suicide mortality rate (per 100,000): 5.5 (2019).
- Total expenditure on health 5.3% of GDP (2021).
- Domestic general government expenditure on health 3.3% of GDP (2021).
- Number of medical doctors 24,000 (2021).
Health Interpretation
The Dominican Republic presents a portrait of a nation in transition, where impressive public health victories like high vaccination rates and low HIV/AIDS prevalence starkly contrast with a growing burden of chronic diseases, high traffic fatalities, and a healthcare system straining to meet needs, suggesting the country is winning battles against infectious threats while struggling with the complex wars of modern lifestyle and infrastructure.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CIAcia.govVisit source
- Reference 2WTTCwttc.orgVisit source
- Reference 3WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 4ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source
- Reference 5UNAIDSunaids.orgVisit source
- Reference 6DATAdata.who.intVisit source
- Reference 7DATAdata.oecd.orgVisit source
- Reference 8DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 9UISuis.unesco.orgVisit source