2020 Edition

Background

Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833, and in 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.

Area

land

751 sq km

total

751 sq km

water

NEGL

Area - comparative

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Coastline

148 km

Elevation

highest point

Morne Diablotins 1,447 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

15 25 N, 61 20 W

Geography - note

known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its lush and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest thermally active lake in the world

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

33.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)

forest

76.6% (2023 est.)

other

0% (2023 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months volcanism: Dominica lies in the middle of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from the island of Saba in the north to Grenada in the south; of the 16 volcanoes that make up this arc, five are located on Dominica, more than any other island in the Caribbean: Morne aux Diables (861 m), Morne Diablotins (1,430 m), Morne Trois Pitons (1,387 m), Watt Mountain (1,224 m), which last erupted in 1997, and Morne Plat Pays (940 m); the two best-known volcanic features on Dominica, the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake thermal areas, lie on the flanks of Watt Mountain, and both are popular tourist destinations

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, arable land

Population distribution

population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated

Terrain

rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Age structure

0-14 years

20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530)

15-64 years

65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009)

65 years and over

13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.9 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

4.8 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

31.5 (2024 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

5.8% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.98 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.5% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.8 years

male

75.8 years

total population

78.7 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

37.6 years

male

36.5 years

total

37.5 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net migration rate

-5.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.9% (2016)

People - note

3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean; only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population

Physician density

1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

36,908

male

37,753

total

74,661 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.04% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.91 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter

Capital

etymology

the name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area

geographic coordinates

15 18 N, 61 24 W

name

Roseau

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president

history

previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978

Country name

conventional long form

Commonwealth of Dominica

conventional short form

Dominica

etymology

the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday (Domingo in Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

embdomdc@gmail.com

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6791

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6781

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)

election results

2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against 2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed

election/appointment process

president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president

expected date of next election

October 2028

head of government

Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)

most recent election date

27 September 2023

Flag

description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white; in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellow meaning: the stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the tricolor cross represents the Christian Trinity; yellow stands for sunshine, the primary agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the Carib people; black for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white for rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc for social justice

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

3 November 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts

Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

December 2027

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

House of Assembly

most recent election date

12/6/2022

number of seats

32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed)

parties elected and seats per party

Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2)

percentage of women in chamber

40.6%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1967

lyrics/music

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

title

"Isle of Beauty"

National coat of arms

the coat of arms was adopted on July 21, 1961, and features two sisserou parrots supporting a shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, a reference to the island’s discovery on a Sunday; the quadrants feature a palm tree, a banana tree, a frog that is native to the island, and a canoe on the Caribbean Sea; the golden lion symbolizes Dominica’s past colonial ties with the UK; below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"

National color(s)

green, yellow, black, white, red

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s)

sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower

Political parties

Dominica Freedom Party or DFP Dominica Labor Party or DLP Dominica United Workers Party or UWP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$164.673 million (2017 est.)

revenues

$233.831 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$163.746 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$223.632 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$160.12 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$301.191 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

highly agrarian OECS island economy; ECCU-member state; large banana exporter; improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program; emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries

Exchange rates

Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

2.7 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.7 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2.7 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2.7 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

2.7 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$173.93 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$188.818 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$212.753 million (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)

Exports - partners

Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua & Barbuda 7% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

29.2% (2018 est.)

government consumption

27.4% (2018 est.)

household consumption

87.7% (2018 est.)

imports of goods and services

-77.8% (2018 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.7% (2018 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2018 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

12.2% (2024 est.)

industry

13.9% (2024 est.)

services

56.9% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$688.881 million (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$354.27 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$417.164 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$387.532 million (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

8.8% (2024 est.)

Industries

soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.6% (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.173 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.216 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.241 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

10.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$17,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$18,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$18,700 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

6.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

5.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$204.343 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$183.53 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$155.971 million (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

145.827 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

41,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

8 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2022 est.)

total

14,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

no terrestrial TV service; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming, plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2019)

Internet country code

.dm

Internet users

percent of population

84% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

85 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

56,929 (2022 est.)

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J7

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41

total

77 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Portsmouth, Roseau

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

2

Military - note

Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) under the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

5 (2024 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone from agricultural/industrial chemicals and untreated sewage

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

13,200 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

12.6% (2022 est.)