2024 Edition Primary

Background

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. 

Area

land

48,320 sq km

total

48,670 sq km

water

350 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate

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

Coastline

1,288 km

Elevation

highest point

Pico Duarte 3,098 m

lowest point

Lago Enriquillo -46 m

mean elevation

424 m

Geographic coordinates

19 00 N, 70 40 W

Geography - note

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

2,980 sq km (2018)

Land boundaries

border countries

Haiti 376 km

total

376 km

Land use

agricultural land

51.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)

forest

40.8% (2018 est.)

other

7.7% (2018 est.)

Location

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)

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

note

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land

Population distribution

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

rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys

Age structure

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

beer

3.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

9.4%

women married by age 18

31.5% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

62.8% (2019)

Current health expenditure

4.9% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.6

potential support ratio

8.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.8

youth dependency ratio

42.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 91.7% of population

improved: total

total: 97.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.7% of population

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

mixed 70.4% (Mestizo/Indio 58%, Mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.)

note

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

1.06 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

19 deaths/1,000 live births

male

24.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.3 years

male

71 years

total population

72.6 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

95.6% (2022)

male

95.4%

total population

95.5%

Major urban areas - population

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

107 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

29.4 years

male

29.1 years

total

29.2 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.9 years (2013 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Dominican

noun

Dominican(s)

Net migration rate

-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.6% (2016)

Physician density

1.45 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

5,350,081 (2024 est.)

male

5,465,776

total

10,815,857

Population distribution

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

0.76% (2024 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 91.3% of population

improved: total

total: 96.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2017)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

6.5% (2020 est.)

male

14.6% (2020 est.)

total

10.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.15 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

84.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 regions (regiones, singular - region); Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma

Capital

etymology

named after Saint Dominic de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order

geographic coordinates

18 28 N, 69 54 W

name

Santo Domingo

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

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

history

many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 13 June 2015

Country name

conventional long form

Dominican Republic

conventional short form

The Dominican

etymology

the country name derives from the capital city of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic)

former

Santo Domingo (the capital city's name formerly applied to the entire country)

local long form

República Dominicana

local short form

La Dominicana

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Patricia AGUILERA (since 1 October 2023)

email address and website

SDOAmericans@state.govhttps://do.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Av. Republica de Colombia #57, Santo Domingo

mailing address

3470 Santo Domingo Place, Washington DC  20521-3470

telephone

(809) 567-7775

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sonia GUZMÁN DE HERNÁNDEZ (since 18 January 2021)

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angelos, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia

email address and website

embassy@drembassyusa.orghttp://drembassyusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 265-8057

telephone

[1] (202) 332-6280

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the president

chief of state

President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)

election results

2024: Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona reelected president; percent of vote - Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 57.5%, Leonel Antonio FERNÁNDEZ Reyna (FP) 28.8%, Abel MARTÍNEZ (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 FERNÁNDEZ Reyna (FP) 8.9%, other 1.1%

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)

head of government

President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Flag description

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

presidential republic

Independence

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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

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

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 termsHouse 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)

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%

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)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Emilio PRUD'HOMME/Jose REYES

name

"Himno Nacional" (National Anthem)

note

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

selected World Heritage Site locales

Colonial City of Santo Domingo

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

National symbol(s)

palmchat (bird); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties

Alliance for Democracy or APDBroad Front (Frente Amplio)Country Alliance or APDominican Liberation Party or PLDDominican Revolutionary Party or PRDDominicans For Change or DXCIndependent Revolutionary Party or PRIInstitutional Social Democratic Bloc or BISLiberal Reformist Party or PRL (formerly the Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or PLRD)Modern Revolutionary Party or PRMNational Progressive Front or FNPPeople's First Party or PPGPeople's Force or FPSocial Christian Reformist Party or PRSC

Suffrage

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

Agricultural products

sugarcane, bananas, papayas, plantains, rice, milk, avocados, watermelons, vegetables, pineapples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

26.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$20.072 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$18.303 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB- (2016)

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$2.685 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$6.549 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$4.376 billion (2023 est.)

note

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

Economic overview

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

Currency

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

51.295 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

56.525 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

57.221 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

55.141 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

56.158 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$20.601 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$25.169 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$25.843 billion (2023 est.)

note

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

Exports - commodities

medical instruments, gold, tobacco, power equipment, garments (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 50%, Switzerland 8%, Haiti 7%, China 3%, India 3% (2022)

note

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

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

21.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

11.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

64.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.5% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.9% (2023 est.)

note

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

6.4% (2023 est.)

industry

31.1% (2023 est.)

note

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

services

56% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$121.444 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

37 (2022 est.)

note

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.3% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$28.69 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$36.838 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$34.455 billion (2023 est.)

note

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

Imports - commodities

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

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 44%, China 15%, Brazil 4%, Colombia 3%, Spain 3% (2022)

note

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

Industrial production growth rate

-0.07% (2023 est.)

note

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

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

8.24% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.81% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.79% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

5.302 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

23.9% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

37.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$243.74 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$255.582 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$261.616 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

12.27% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.86% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.36% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$21,900 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$22,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$23,100 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

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

Remittances 2021

11.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

9.05% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

8.65% 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

$13.125 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$14.523 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$15.547 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.82% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.7% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.56% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

15.4% (2023 est.)

male

9.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

11.8% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

4.941 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

4.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

17.403 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

27.132 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

2.188 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

5.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

2.188 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

19.087 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

5.573 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.448 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

95%

electrification - total population

98.1% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

98.8%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

85.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

4.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

2.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

6.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

36.656 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

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

refined petroleum consumption

134,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2020 est.)

total

1,031,858 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

.do

Internet users

percent of population

85% (2021 est.)

total

9.35 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons; mobile cellular subscriptions 88 per 100 persons (2021)

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)

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1.144 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

10.15 million (2022 est.)

Airports

32 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HI

Heliports

4 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 36

total

40 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

6

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

27 km gas, 103 km oil (2013)

Ports

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

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

7

size unknown

2

small

7

total ports

17 (2024)

very small

6

Railways

narrow gauge

142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

standard gauge

354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

496 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

9,872 km

total

19,705 km

unpaved

9,833 km (2002)

Military - note

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

Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic: Army of the Dominican Republic (Ejercito de la República Dominicana, ERD), Navy (Armada de República Dominicana or ARD; includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de la República Dominicana, FARD)  (2024)

note

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

approximately 55-60,000 Armed Forces personnel; up to 35,000 National Police (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's equipment inventory comes largely from the US, with smaller quantities from such suppliers as Brazil and Spain  (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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

note: as of 2023, women made up approximately 18% of the active duty military

Illicit drugs

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

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

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/

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

25.26 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

8.1 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

7.59 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

Environment - international agreements

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

agricultural land

51.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)

forest

40.8% (2018 est.)

other

7.7% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

23.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

7.56 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

660 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

860 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

84.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

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.)