Production Transformation Policy Review of the Dominican Republic

Country profile

The Dominican Republic is a unitary country. It includes 31 provinces and the National District where the national capital, Santo Domingo, is located (Figure 1). The 31 provinces are divided into 158 municipalities. The president appoints the governors of the provinces with the exception of the National District, in which the citizens elect the governor. The country has a population of 10.8 million in 2018, an increase of 2.4 million since 2000. The most populous city in the country is the capital, Santo Domingo, with 1.4 million inhabitants.

Figure 1. Administrative provinces of the Dominican Republic

Note: The map included herein is without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

Table 1. Main economic indicators of the Dominican Republic, 1970-2019

	1970		1980		1990		2000	2010	20191
Population
Population, total (millions)	4.5		5.8		7.2		8.6	9.9	10.62
Labour force, total (millions)	...		...		2.8		3.6	4.3	5.2
Unemployment, total (% of total labour force) (national estimate)	...		...		...		6.4	5.2	5.6
Employment-to-population ratio	...		…		…		54.8	53.8	60
Aggregate economy
GDP, million USD (constant 2010)	...		…		19 232		36 322	53 860	81 8052
GDP, million USD current	1 485.5		6 761.3		7 073.7		24 305.1	53 982.9	85 555.22
GDP per capita, USD current	329.9		1 163.9		984.7		2 838.5	5 453.9	8 0512
GDP per capita USD (constant prices and PPP 2010)	…		…		5 477.1		8 200.4	11 132.6	14 8802
GDP growth (average previous 10 years)	6.2		7.2		2.5		6.0	4.7	5.62
Gross fixed capital formation (% of GDP)	16.6		23.4		23.1		25.1	25.2	21.92
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %)	3.8		16.8		50.5		7.7	6.2	3.32
External sector
Trade (% of GDP)	45.9		54.4		69.2		79.3	56	54
Exports of goods and services (million USD constant 2010 prices)	2 606.2		5 619.1		5 495.9		11 282.6	1 2241	18 502.92
Imports of goods and services (million USD constant 2010 prices)	3 663.6		6 223.8		6 345.5		14 832.6	17 989.4	21 104.12
High-technology exports (% of total exports)	...		...		...		…	2.3	7.72
(% of manufactured exports)									13.72
Economic activities
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added, million USD constant 2010 prices (% of gross value added)	1 019.2 (13.4)		1 420.8 (9.07)		1 481.2 (7.5)		1 967.3 (6.0)	3 269.9 (6.5)	4 399.32 (6.1)
Industry (including construction) value added, million USD constant 2010 prices (% of gross value added)	1 805.1 (13.8)		4 261.1 (27.2)		5 456.8 (27.5)		10 974.5 (33.6)	15 073.9 (29.9)	23 221.9 (32.4)
Of which manufacturing (% of gross value added)	1 459 (19.2)		2 889.8 (18.5)		3 555.9 (17.9)		6 432.1 (19.7)	8 242.7 (16.4)	10 421.6 (13)
Services value added, million USD constant 2010 prices (% of GDP)	4 379.4 (39.8)		9 058.2 (43.1)		12 004 (47.7)		19 908.5 (52.1)	32 008 (59.3)	43 962.6 (59.8)
Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)	0.7		3.2		2.0		0.7	0.2	…
Energy
Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (% of total)	…		2.33		0.7		0.2	0.2	…
Electricity production from hydroelectric sources (% of total renewable sources)	…		17.1		9.4		8.9	11.8	…
Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption)	…		…		28.0		18.4	16.9	…
Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output)	…		…		10.1		9.2	11.9	…
ICT indicators
Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people)		...		...		...	…	3.9	7.32
Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)		...		...		0.1	8.2	89.9	81.52

Note: 1. estimated value, 2. 2018, 3. 1975.

Source: OECD National accounts, IE Statistics, International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, United Nations Comtrade database, ILOSTAT database, International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics, United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics and World Bank Statistics.