Dominican Republic
Introduction
Background
The Taino - indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of the Europeans - divided the island 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 was conquered and ruled by the Haitians 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, 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 when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (first term 1996-2000) won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was later reelected to a second consecutive term. Following the two-term presidency of Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (2012-2020), Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona was elected president in July 2020.
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Geography
Location
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Geographic coordinates
19 00 N, 70 40 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total: 376 km
border countries (1): Haiti 376 km
Coastline
1,288 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain
rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys
Elevation
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
mean elevation: 424 m
Natural resources
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 40.8% (2018 est.)
other: 7.7% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
3,070 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
Salt water lake(s): Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km
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)
Natural hazards
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
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
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican
Ethnic groups
mixed 70.4% (Mestizo/Indio 58%, Mulatto 12.4%), Black 15.8%, White 13.5%, other 0.3% (2014 est.)
note: respondents self-identified their race; the term "indio" in the Dominican Republic is not associated with people of indigenous ancestry but people of mixed ancestry or skin color between light and dark
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.
Religions
Roman Catholic 44.3%, Evangelical 13%, Protestant 7.9%, Adventist 1.4%, other 1.8%, atheist 0.2%, none 29.4%, unspecified 2% (2018 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 26.85% (male 1,433,166/female 1,385,987)
15-24 years: 18.15% (male 968,391/female 937,227)
25-54 years: 40.54% (male 2,168,122/female 2,088,926)
55-64 years: 8.17% (male 429,042/female 428,508)
65 years and over: 6.29% (male 310,262/female 350,076) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 53.8
youth dependency ratio: 42.2
elderly dependency ratio: 11.6
potential support ratio: 8.6 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 27.9 years
male: 27.8 years
female: 28.1 years (2020 est.)
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)
Urbanization
urban population: 83.2% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
3.389 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2021)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.9 years (2013 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio
95 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71Infant mortality rate
total: 21.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.28 years
male: 70.57 years
female: 74.06 years (2021 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
69.5% (2014)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 98.3% of population
rural: 92% of population
total: 96.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population
rural: 8% of population
total: 3.3% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
5.7% (2018)
Physicians density
1.53 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
Hospital bed density
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 96.3% of population
rural: 89.5% of population
total: 95% of population
unimproved: urban: 13.8% of population
rural: 3.7% of population
total: 5% of population (2017 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.8% (2016)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2017)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 14.9%
male: 11.6%
female: 20.7% (2020 est.)
Environment
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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 12.95 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 25.26 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 8.1 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Land use
agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 40.8% (2018 est.)
other: 7.7% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 83.2% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
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.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
Salt water lake(s): Lago de Enriquillo - 500 sq km
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 855 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 659.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 7.563 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
23.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana
etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic)
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Santo Domingo
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named after Saint Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order
Administrative divisions
10 regions (regiones, singular - region); Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma
Independence
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution
history: many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 13 June 2015
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
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
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
Executive branch
chief of state: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020); Vice President Raquel PENA de Antuna (since 16 August 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020); Vice President Raquel PENA de Antuna (since 16 August 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president
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 5 July 2020 (next to be held in 2024); note - the 2020 election was rescheduled from 17 May to 5 July 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
election results:
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 FERNANDEZ Reyna (FP) 8.9% other 1.1%
2016: Danilo MEDINA Sanchez reelected president; percent of vote - Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (PLD) 61.7%, Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (PRM) 35%, other 3.3%; Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (PLD) reelected vice president
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 terms; note - in 2019, the Central Election Commission changed the electoral system for seats in26 constituencies to direct simple majority but retained indirect election for the remaining 6 constituencies; previously all 32 members were indirectly elected; the change had been challenged by the ruling and opposition parties)
House 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)
elections:
Senate - last held on 5 July 2020 (next to be held 2024)
House of Representatives - last held on 5 July 2020 (next to be held in 2024); note - the 2020 election was rescheduled from 17 May to 5 July 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 17, PLD 6, PRSC 6, BIS 1, DXC 1, FP 1
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRM 86, PLD 75, PRSC 6, PRD 4, Broad Front 3, FP 3, AP 2, APD 2, BIS 2, DXC 2, other 5
Judicial branch
highest courts: 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
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Democracy or APD
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) [Fidel SANTANA]
Country Alliance or AP [Guillermo Antonio MORENO Garcia]
Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Danilo MEDINA Sánchez]
Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado]
Dominicans For Change or DXC [Manuel OVIEDO Estrada]
Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS
Liberal Reformist Party or PRL (formerly the Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic or PLRD)
Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Jose Ignacio PALIZA]
National Progressive Front or FNP [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]
People's Force or FP [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]
Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Federico ANTUN]
International organization participation
ACP, 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, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia GUZMAN (since 18 January 2021)
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
email address and website:
embassy@drembassyusa.org
http://drembassyusa.org/
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Glendale (CA), Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert W. THOMAS (since 20 January 2021)
embassy: Av. Republica de Colombia #57, Santo Domingo
mailing address: 3470 Santo Domingo Place, Washington DC 20521-3470
telephone: (809) 567-7775
email address and website:
SDOAmericans@state.gov
https://do.usembassy.gov/
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
National symbol(s)
palmchat (bird); national colors: red, white, blue
National anthem
name: "Himno Nacional" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Emilio PRUD'HOMME/Jose REYES
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
Economy
Economic overview
The Dominican Republic was for most of its history primarily an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but over the last three decades the economy has become more diversified as the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in construction, tourism, and free trade zones. The mining sector has also played a greater role in the export market since late 2012 with the commencement of the extraction phase of the Pueblo Viejo Gold and Silver mine, one of the largest gold mines in the world.
For the last 20 years, the Dominican Republic has been one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. The economy rebounded from the global recession in 2010-16, and the fiscal situation is improving. A tax reform package passed in November 2012, a reduction in government spending, and lower energy costs helped to narrow the central government budget deficit from 6.6% of GDP in 2012 to 2.6% in 2016, and public debt is declining. Marked income inequality, high unemployment, and underemployment remain important long-term challenges; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP.
The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports and the source of 40% of imports. Remittances from the US amount to about 7% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and manufacturing exports.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$184.45 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)
$197.74 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$188.23 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
4.6% (2017 est.)
6.6% (2016 est.)
7% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$17,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)
$18,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$17,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$88.956 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.8% (2019 est.)
3.5% (2018 est.)
3.2% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: BB- (2016)
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2017)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2015)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 5.6% (2017 est.)
industry: 33% (2017 est.)
services: 61.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 69.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 24.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -28.1% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, bananas, papayas, rice, plantains, milk, avocados, fruit, pineapples, coconuts
Industries
tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 14.4%
industry: 20.8% (2014)
services: 64.7% (2014 est.)
Population below poverty line
21% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
43.7 (2018 est.)
45.7 (2012 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 37.4% (2013 est.)
Budget
revenues: 11.33 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 13.62 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$165 million (2017 est.)
-$815 million (2016 est.)
Exports
$14.44 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)
$20.51 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)
$20.05 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 54%, Switzerland 8%, Canada 5%, India 5%, China 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, medical instruments, cigars, low-voltage protection equipment, bananas (2019)
Imports
$20.19 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)
$24.53 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)
$24.11 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 50%, China 13% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, jewelry, natural gas, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.873 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.134 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$23.094 billion (2019 est.)
$21.198 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange rates
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -
47.42 (2017 est.)
46.078 (2016 est.)
46.078 (2015 est.)
45.052 (2014 est.)
43.556 (2013 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 14.9%
male: 11.6%
female: 20.7% (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
3.839 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91Electricity - from fossil fuels
77% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
16% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99Electricity - from other renewable sources
7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92Refined petroleum products - production
16,060 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92Refined petroleum products - consumption
134,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 1,155,493 (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10.65 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 8,989,587 (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 82.87 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the Dominican Republic’s fixed-line tele-density is well below the Latin American average due to lack of infrastructure; distribution of telephony services is proportionate to income inequalities; small, localized operators provide services; telecom and mobile broadband growing with LTE available to most of the population; government program aims for universal access to broadband services, and development of a national backbone; 5G launch anticipated in 2021 (2020)
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 11 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of 83 per 100 persons (2019)
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)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
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 users
total: 8.16 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 67.57% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 1,031,858 (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9.51 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Airports - with paved runways
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 18 (2013)
Heliports
1 (2013)
Pipelines
27 km gas, 103 km oil (2013)
Railways
total: 496 km (2014)
standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Roadways
total: 19,705 km (2002)
paved: 9,872 km (2002)
unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)
Merchant marine
total: 38
by type: container ship 1, general cargo 2, oil tanker 1, other 34 (2021)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo
oil terminal(s): Punta Nizao oil terminal
LNG terminal(s) (import): Andres LNG terminal (Boca Chica)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic: Army (Ejercito Nacional, EN), Navy (Marina de Guerra, MdG, includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2021)
note(s) - in addition to the military, the Ministry of Armed Forces directs the Airport Security Authority and Civil Aviation, Port Security Authority, the Tourist Security Corps, and Border Security Corps; the National Police (Policia Nacional) are under the Ministry of Interior
Military expenditures
0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2019)
0.7% of GDP (2018)
0.7% of GDP (2017)
0.7% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 60,000 active personnel (30,000 Army; 13,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force); approximately 30,000 National Police (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military is lightly armed with an inventory consisting mostly of older US equipment with limited quantities of material from other countries; since 2010, Brazil and Israel are the leading suppliers of armaments to the Dominican Republic (2021)
Military service age and obligation
17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2021)
Military - note
the military's primary focuses are countering illegal immigration and refugees along its 350-kilometer-long border with Haiti and interdicting air and maritime narcotics trafficking, as well as disaster relief (2021)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the Dominican Republic to find work; illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better work
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 115,283 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)
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
note: revised estimate includes only individuals born to parents who were both born abroad; it does not include individuals born in the country to one Dominican-born and one foreign-born parent or subsequent generations of individuals of foreign descent; the estimate, as such, does not include all stateless persons (2015)
Trafficking in persons
current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in the Dominican Republic and Dominicans abroad; Dominican women and children are sex trafficked throughout the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States; victims from Haiti and elsewhere in the Caribbean, Asia, and Latin America are trafficked in the Dominican Republic; Dominican women are lured to the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America to work in nightclubs but are then sex trafficked; domestically, children are forced into domestic servitude, street vending, begging, agricultural work, construction, and moving illicit narcotics, while adults are forced to work in construction, agriculture, and the services sector
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the Dominican Republic does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government has drafted a revised trafficking law that would be consistent with international law by removing the requirement for force, fraud, or coercion of sex trafficking of victims younger than 18; authorities increased investigations and prosecutions but convicted fewer traffickers and issued inadequate sentences; the country lacks a dedicated victim assistance budget and a full-time victim shelter; authorities did not effectively screen for trafficking indicators or refer all vulnerable individuals to care; the government has not allocated specific funds to implement its national anti-trafficking plan beyond the standard operating budget for the 14 institutions that are part of its Inter-Institutional Commission against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (2020)
Illicit drugs
a major transshipment point for cocaine transiting through the Caribbean