Dominican Republic Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Santo Domingo

Population

10,899,292 (2025 est.)

Area

48,670 sq km

Location

Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

🧭 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.

🗺️ 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

Area — total

48,670 sq km

Area — land

48,320 sq km

Area — water

350 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries — total

376 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Haiti 376 km

Coastline

1,288 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

Elevation — lowest point

Lago Enriquillo -46 m

Elevation — mean elevation

424 m

Natural resources

Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land

Land use — agricultural land

55.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 20.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 23.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

46.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

0% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

2,981 sq km (2018)

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⬆️ Top

Population — total

10,899,292 (2025 est.)

Population — male

5,506,679

Population — female

5,392,613

Nationality — noun

Dominican(s)

Nationality — adjective

Dominican

Ethnic groups

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

Languages — Languages

Spanish (official)

Languages — 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

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

Age structure — 0-14 years

25.5% (male 1,402,847/female 1,358,833)

Age structure — 15-64 years

66.9% (male 3,667,584/female 3,563,848)

Age structure — 65 years and over

7.6% (2024 est.) (male 395,345/female 427,400)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

49.6 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

37.8 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

11.8 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

8.5 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

29.6 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

29.1 years

Median age — female

29.4 years

Population growth rate

0.78% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 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

84.4% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.93 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

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

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.9 years (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

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

Infant mortality rate — male

24.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

19 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

72.6 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

71 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

74.3 years

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.06 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 96.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 3.2% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.9% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

14.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

2.43 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 97.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 2.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

5.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

3.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

9.7% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

13.5% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

5.9% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.2% (2019 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

9.4% (2019)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

31.5% (2019)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

20.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

94% (2024 est.)

Literacy — male

93.6% (2024 est.)

Literacy — female

94.4% (2024 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

14 years (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

13 years (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

15 years (2022 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation

International environmental 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

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

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

Land use — agricultural land

55.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 20.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 23.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

46.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

0% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

84.4% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

29.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

5.374 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

19.872 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

4.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

4.064 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.6% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

855 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

659.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

7.563 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

23.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Dominican Republic

Country name — conventional short form

The Dominican

Country name — local long form

República Dominicana

Country name — local short form

La Dominicana

Country name — former

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

Country name — etymology

The name is a latinized form of the Spanish term Santo Domingo, meaning "holy Sunday;" Spanish explorers originally settled the island on a Sunday in 1496, and the name was first given to the island of Hispaniola as a whole in 1697

Government type

Presidential republic

Capital — name

Santo Domingo

Capital — geographic coordinates

18 28 N, 69 54 W

Capital — time difference

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

Capital — etymology

Named after Saint Domingo de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order; the city's full name was originally Santo Domingo de Guzman

Administrative divisions

31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elías Piña, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monseñor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Samaná, Sánchez Ramírez, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macorís, Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde

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

Constitution — history

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

Constitution — amendment process

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

International law organization participation

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

At least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

Yes

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

2 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons can vote, regardless of age

Executive branch — chief of state

President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)

Executive branch — head of government

President Luis Rodolfo ABINADER Corona (since 16 August 2020)

Executive branch — cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

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)

Executive branch — most recent election date

19 May 2024

Executive branch — 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%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

21 May 2028

Legislative branch — legislature name

National Congress of the Republic (Congreso Nacional de la República)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

190 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Proportional representation

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

5/19/2024

Legislative branch - lower chamber — parties elected and seats per party

Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and its allies (146); People’s Force (FP) and its allies (28); Other (16)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

37.4%

Legislative branch - lower chamber — expected date of next election

May 2028

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Senate (Senado)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

32 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — electoral system

Proportional representation

Legislative branch - upper chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - upper chamber — term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber — most recent election date

5/19/2024

Legislative branch - upper chamber — parties elected and seats per party

Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and its allies (24); People’s Force (FP) and its allies (3); Other (5)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

12.5%

Legislative branch - upper chamber — expected date of next election

May 2028

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)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary composed 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

Judicial branch — 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

Alliance for Democracy or APD Broad Front (Frente Amplio) Country Alliance or AP Dominican Liberation Party or PLD Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD Dominicans For Change or DXC Independent Revolutionary Party or PRI 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 National Progressive Front or FNP People's First Party or PPG People's Force or FP Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador María Isabel CASTILLO BÁEZ (since 11 June 2025)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 332-6280

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 265-8057

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Embassy@drembassyusa.org http://drembassyusa.org/

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

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

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Leah F. CAMPOS (since 19 November 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

Av. Republica de Colombia #57, Santo Domingo

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

3470 Santo Domingo Place, Washington DC 20521-3470

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

(809) 567-7775

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

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

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

Independence

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 February (1844)

Flag

Description: a centered white cross extends to the edges and divides the flag into four rectangles; the top ones are ultramarine blue (left side) and vermilion red, and the bottom ones are vermilion red (left side) and ultramarine blue; a small coat of arms with a shield supported by a laurel branch and a palm branch is at the center of the cross; above the shield, a blue ribbon displays the motto DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty); below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA is on a red ribbon; on the shield, a Bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free) meaning: blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes

National symbol(s)

Palmchat (bird)

National color(s)

Red, white, blue

National anthem(s) — title

"Himno Nacional" (National Anthem)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Emilio PRUD'HOMME/Jose REYES

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1934; also known as "Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valiant Sons of Quisqueye); the anthem refers to the Dominican people as Quisqueyanos, which comes from the ethnic name for the island

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Colonial City of Santo Domingo

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$276.884 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$263.82 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$258.16 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$24,200 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$23,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$23,000 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$124.282 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.3% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.8% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

4.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

28.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

59.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

67.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

11.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

26.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

22.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-29% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Sugarcane, bananas, papayas, plantains, avocados, rice, milk, watermelons, vegetables, pineapples (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.413 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

5.5% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

5.6% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

11.7% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

9.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

15.5% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

23% (2023 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

38.4 (2023 est.)

Average household expenditures — on food

28.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Average household expenditures — on alcohol and tobacco

3.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.3% (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

29.1% (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2024

9% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

8.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

9.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget — revenues

$20.418 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$24.348 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

34.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

14.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2024

-$4.167 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$4.418 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$6.549 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2024

$28.563 billion (2024 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$25.79 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$25.169 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

USA 52%, Switzerland 7%, Haiti 6%, China 5%, India 3% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Medical instruments, tobacco, gold, garments, power equipment (2023)

Imports — Imports 2024

$36.144 billion (2024 est.)

Imports — Imports 2023

$34.45 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$36.838 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

USA 40%, China 18%, Brazil 4%, Spain 4%, Mexico 3% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Refined petroleum, cars, natural gas, plastic products, crude petroleum (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$13.471 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$15.547 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$14.523 billion (2022 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$35.044 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

59.565 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

56.158 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

55.141 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

57.221 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

56.525 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

98.1% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

98.8%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

95%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

6.581 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

22.193 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

2.369 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

82.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

5.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — wind

4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

2.356 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

2.356 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

146,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

2.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — exports

1.997 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — imports

2.279 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

39.329 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

1.15 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

10.7 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

94 (2024 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; over 300 state-owned and privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.do

Internet users — percent of population

85% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

1.26 million (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HI

Airports

32 (2025)

Heliports

8 (2025)

Railways — total

496 km (2014)

Railways — standard gauge

354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Railways — narrow gauge

142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

Merchant marine — total

40 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

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

Ports — total ports

17 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

2

Ports — small

7

Ports — very small

6

Ports — size unknown

2

Ports — ports with oil terminals

7

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

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

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) (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Approximately 55-60,000 Armed Forces; up to 35,000 National Police (2025)

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 (2025)

Military service age and obligation

17-early 20s for voluntary military service for men and women (ages vary depending on military service and position; under 18 admitted with permission of parents) (2025)

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, where the Army in recent years has assigned thousands of troops to assist with security; 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 (2025)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

1,004 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

390 (2023 est.)

Illicit drugs — USG identification

Major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)