2024 Edition Primary

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, DC

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 spectacular, 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

34.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)

forest

59.2% (2018 est.)

other

6.1% (2018 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 monthsvolcanism: Dominica was the last island to be formed in the Caribbean some 26 million years ago, it 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 mosly 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

13.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

5.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

40.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

13.2

potential support ratio

7.6 (2021)

total dependency ratio

41.2

youth dependency ratio

28

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 95.7% of population

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.3% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2021 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 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

14.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

37.6 years

male

36.5 years

total

37 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net migration rate

-5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 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

1.1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

36,908 (2024 est.)

male

37,753

total

74,661

Population distribution

population is mosly 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

Population growth rate

-0.01% (2024 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 (2024 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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2015

history

previous 1967 (preindependence); 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 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 against2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed 

elections/appointments

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); election last held on 27 September 2023 (next to be held in October 2028); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)

Flag description

green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a Sisserou parrot, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands 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 - headquartered on St. Lucia - 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 is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 in Dominica; note - in 2015, Dominica acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London

judge selection and term of office

chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; 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

description

unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the president - 5 on the advice of the prime minister, and 4 on the advice of the leader of the opposition party, plus 2 ex-officio members - the house speaker and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - DLP 82.3%, independent 16.9%; (elected) seats by party - DLP 19, independent 2; composition - men 20, women 12, percent of women 37.5%

elections

last held on 6 December 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN

name

"Isle of Beauty"

note

note: adopted 1967

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Pitons Management Area

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 November (1978)

National symbol(s)

Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red

Political parties

Dominica Freedom Party or DFPDominica Labor Party or DLPDominica United Workers Party or UWP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, plantains, coconuts, milk, yautia, oranges, sugarcane (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$164.673 million (2017 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$233.831 million (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$182.647 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$162.036 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$221.939 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$282.847 million (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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 2019

2.7 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$117.709 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$174.041 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$185.062 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

power equipment, soap, raw iron bars, natural gas, tropical fruits (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Bahamas, The 12%, Guyana 8%, Antigua and Barbuda 7%, Dominican Republic 7%, Barbados 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.8% (2023 est.)

industry

12.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

58.5% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$653.993 million (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2021

$313.729 million (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$350.982 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$414.13 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, plastic products, cars (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 51%, China 9%, Indonesia 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4%, Italy 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

5.01% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.48% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.78% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.48% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Public debt

Public debt 2017

82.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.048 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.106 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.159 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.89% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.58% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.71% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$14,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$15,200 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$15,900 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

7.24% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

6.22% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

9.05% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$190.843 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$204.343 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$183.53 million (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

40.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

175,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

175,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

162.827 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

42,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

8 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

75.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

23.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

35.086 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

22 (2020 est.)

total

16,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

no terrestrial TV service available; 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

81% (2021 est.)

total

58,320 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

10 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscriptions are about 86 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage (2021)

international

country code - 1-767; landing points for the ECFS and the Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and to the US; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

86 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

62,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

2 (2024)

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

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

2

Roadways

paved

762 km

total

1,512 km

unpaved

750 km (2018)

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 (2024)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) under the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security (2024)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.18 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.04 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.22 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

Environment - current issues

water shortages a continuing concern; pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone by agricultural and industrial chemicals, and untreated sewage

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

34.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 24% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.7% (2018 est.)

forest

59.2% (2018 est.)

other

6.1% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

72% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

13,176 tons (2013 est.)