Dominican Republic - Economic Indicators

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Feb 23, 2024

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GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Private Consumption 2022 4,099,755,939,802 3,581,423,202,212 DOP Annual
Nominal Gross Domestic Product 2022 6,260,564,018,596 5,392,714,102,083 DOP Annual
Investment 2022 2,077,122,192,592 1,671,389,140,950 DOP Annual
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 791,361,715,900 714,094,515,700 NCU Annual
Real Investment 2017 623,319,181,400 644,603,373,800 NCU Annual
Real Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 603,800,377,900 600,902,895,300 NCU Annual
Government Consumption 2016 363,630 333,951 Mil. DOP Annual
Real Gross Domestic Product 2016 136.36 127.87 Index 2005=100 Annual
Price Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Jan 2024 172.88 172.21 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Labor Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Agriculture Employment 2017 630,804 633,371 # Annual
Labor Force 2016 5,004,123 4,918,059 # Annual
Total Employment 2016 Q4 4,431 Ths. Quarterly
Unemployment 2016 256.63 270.12 Ths. Annual
Unemployment Rate 2016 5.49 5.92 % Annual
Labor Force Employment 2016 4,415 4,293 Ths. Annual
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Exports of Goods 2023 Q3 3,170,100,000 3,342,400,000 USD, NSA Quarterly
Imports of Goods 2023 Q3 7,492,100,000 6,978,100,000 USD, NSA Quarterly
Balance of Goods 2023 Q3 -4,322,000,000 -3,635,700,000 USD, NSA Quarterly
Current Account Balance 2023 Q3 -1,742,400,000 -871,800,000 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods and Services 2022 1,381,251,432,419 1,173,061,032,663 DOP Annual
Imports of Goods and Services 2022 2,013,947,943,537 1,670,779,580,405 DOP Annual
Real Exports of Goods and Services 2017 597,776,138,500 570,686,209,200 NCU Annual
Real Imports of Goods and Services 2017 674,418,795,900 691,896,080,100 NCU Annual
Government Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Government Revenues Dec 2011 28,434 24,128 Mil. DOP Monthly
Government Expenditures May 2009 16,523 39,906 Mil. NCU Monthly
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Lending Rate Feb 2024 15.18 14.75 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Money Market Rate Feb 2024 9.92 9.77 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Population 2020 10,847,904 10,738,957 # Annual
Net Migration 2017 -151,333 # Annual
Birth Rate 2016 20.17 20.51 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Death Rate 2016 6.1 6.08 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

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 elected 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. In 2012, Danilo MEDINA Sanchez became president; he was reelected in 2016.

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
land: 48,320 sq km
water: 350 sq km
country comparison to the world: 132
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 376 km
border countries (1): Haiti 376 km
Coastline:
1,288 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
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
Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Terrain:
rugged highlands and mountains interspersed with fertile valleys
Elevation:
mean elevation: 424 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,098 m
Natural resources:
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land
Land use:
agricultural land: 51.5%
arable land 16.6%; permanent crops 10.1%; permanent pasture 24.8%
forest: 40.8%
other: 7.7% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
3,070 sq km (2012)
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
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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 & Society

Population:
10,734,247 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
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%
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 (2014 est.)
Languages:
Spanish (official)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.63% (male 1,454,527/female 1,404,538)
15-24 years: 18.18% (male 993,642/female 957,466)
25-54 years: 39.66% (male 2,178,477/female 2,078,371)
55-64 years: 7.9% (male 426,810/female 421,727)
65 years and over: 7.63% (male 378,226/female 440,463) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 57.8
youth dependency ratio: 47.3
elderly dependency ratio: 10.5
potential support ratio: 9.5 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.1 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 28.3 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Population growth rate:
1.18% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Birth rate:
18.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Death rate:
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:
-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
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: 80.6% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
SANTO DOMINGO (capital) 2.945 million (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth:
21.3 years
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
92 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.3 years
male: 76 years
female: 80.6 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Total fertility rate:
2.29 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
69.5% (2014)
Health expenditures:
4.4% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 157
Physicians density:
1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
Hospital bed density:
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 85.4% of population
rural: 81.9% of population
total: 84.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 14.6% of population
rural: 18.1% of population
total: 15.3% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 86.2% of population
rural: 75.7% of population
total: 84% of population
unimproved:
urban: 13.8% of population
rural: 24.3% of population
total: 16% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
67,000 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,200 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
27.6% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 37
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
4% (2013)
country comparison to the world: 106
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 91.2%
female: 92.3% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2014)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 10.8%
male: 7.7%
female: 15.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

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)
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:
many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 26 January 2010; note - the Dominican Republic Government has a practice of promulgating a "new" constitution whenever an amendment is ratified (2016)
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 Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012)
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 consecutive terms); election last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in 2020)
election results: 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 the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (190 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 15 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2020)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 26, PRM 2, BIS 1, PLRD 1, PRD 1, PRSC 1
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 106, PRM 42, PRSC 18, PRD 16, PLRD 3, other 5
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
Political parties and leaders:
Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]
Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado]
Institutional Social Democratic Bloc or BIS
Liberal Reformist Party or PRL
Modern Revolutionary Party or PRM [Andres BAUTISTA Garcia]
National Progressive Front or FNP [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]
Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Federico ANTUN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania)
Collective of Popular Organizations or COP
Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice or FINJUS
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 Jose Tomas PEREZ Vazquez(since 23 February 2015)
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, 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 COPLEY (since 21 July 2017)
embassy: Av. Republica de Colombia
mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500
telephone: [1] (809) 567-7775
FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
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

Economy - overview:
The Dominican Republic was for most of its history primarily an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years 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. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment, a large informal sector, and underemployment remain important long-term challenges.
The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports. 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.
The Dominican Republic's 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. A liability management operation in January 2015, in which the government paid down over $4 billion of the country’s Petrocaribe debt at a discount of 52% with proceeds from the sale of $2.5 billion in global bonds, reduced the country’s debt load by approximately by 4% of GDP. Since 2015 the Dominican Republic has posted the fastest economic growth in Latin America.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$172.6 billion (2017 est.)
$164.7 billion (2016 est.)
$154.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 73
GDP (official exchange rate):
$74.87 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2017 est.)
6.6% (2016 est.)
7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$17,000 (2017 est.)
$16,400 (2016 est.)
$15,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 104
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 69.8%
government consumption: 10.9%
investment in fixed capital: 23.3%
investment in inventories: 0.6%
exports of goods and services: 25.8%
imports of goods and services: -30.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 33.8%
services: 60.8% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, tobacco, sugarcane, coffee, cotton, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs
Industries:
tourism, sugar processing, gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco, electrical components, medical devices
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Labor force:
4.732 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14.4%
industry: 20.8%
services: 64.7% (2014 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.5% (2017 est.)
5.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Population below poverty line:
30.5% (2016 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 37.4% (2013 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
47.1 (2013 est.)
45.7 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Budget:
revenues: $11.18 billion
expenditures: $12.77 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
14.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Public debt:
47.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
47.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2017 est.)
1.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
15.08% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Stock of narrow money:
$6.921 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.491 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Stock of broad money:
$21.44 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$19.81 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Stock of domestic credit:
$35.64 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$33.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Current account balance:
$-1.192 billion (2017 est.)
$-1.066 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Exports:
$10.33 billion (2017 est.)
$9.86 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Exports - commodities:
gold, silver, cocoa, sugar, coffee, tobacco, meats, consumer goods
Exports - partners:
US 47.3%, Haiti 12%, Canada 7.8%, India 6.2% (2016)
Imports:
$19 billion (2017 est.)
$17.48 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
US 40.4%, China 12.5%, Mexico 5.2% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.233 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.134 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Debt - external:
$29.69 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$27.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$35.93 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$33.56 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$487.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$387.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -
47.42 (2017 est.)
46.08 (2016 est.)
46.08 (2015 est.)
45.05 (2014 est.)
43.56 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
population without electricity: 300,000
electrification - total population: 98%
electrification - urban areas: 99%
electrification - rural areas: 97% (2013)
Electricity - production:
15.53 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Electricity - consumption:
13.25 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
3.732 million kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
80.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
16.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
5.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Crude oil - imports:
27,440 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Refined petroleum products - production:
27,060 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
114,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Refined petroleum products - imports:
84,370 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
Natural gas - consumption:
1.895 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - imports:
1.108 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
22 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 1,345,091
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 8,708,131
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Telephone system:
general assessment: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 13 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of over 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-809; 1-829; 1-849; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), Antillas 1, AMX-1, 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) (2016)
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 (2015)
Internet country code:
.do
Internet users:
total: 6,504,998
percent of population: 61.3% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 1
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 14,463
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
HI (2016)
Airports:
36 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 110
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:
gas 27 km; oil 103 km (2013)
Railways:
total: 496 km
standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
country comparison to the world: 115
Roadways:
total: 19,705 km
paved: 9,872 km
unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)
country comparison to the world: 110
Merchant marine:
total: 23
by type: general cargo 2, other 21 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 135
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 & Security

Military expenditures:
0.64% of GDP (2016)
0.67% of GDP (2015)
0.67% of GDP (2014)
0.62% of GDP (2013)
0.65% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 136
Military branches:
Army (Ejercito Nacional, EN), Navy (Marina de Guerra, MdG, includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2017)
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 (2012)

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:
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)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption

Economic Indicators for Dominican Republic including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Dominican Republic economy.