The Health in the Americas+¹ country profiles are based on the interagency indicators available as of the dates referenced. The sources are referenced in this table. In some cases, the values of the indicators may differ from the most recent data available in the country.

Environmental and social determinants of health

In 2000 the total population of Dominican Republic was 8 584 190 inhabitants; by 2024 this figure had risen to 11 427 557, representing a 33.1% increase. Regarding the country’s demographic profile, in 2024 people over 65 years of age accounted for 7.9% of the total population, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the year 2000. In 2024, there were 101.1 women per 100 men and 29.6 older people (65 years or older) per 100 children under 15 years of age, as can be seen in the country’s population pyramids, distributed by age group and sex (Figure 1). Considering the population between 15 and 64 years of age to be potentially active (i.e., potential participants in the labor force), this group represented 65.5% of the total population of the country in 2024 (7 489 835 people). When we add these figures to the potentially passive population (3 037 291 under 15 years of age and 900 432 over 65 years of age), the result is a dependency ratio of 52.6 potentially passive people per 100 potentially active people. This ratio was 65.6 in 2000.

Life expectancy at birth in 2024 was 73.9 years, lower than the average for the Region of the Americas and 3.5 years higher that in 2000 (70.4).

Between 2007 and 2019, the average number of years of schooling in Dominican Republic increased by 23.6%, reaching an average of 8.9 years in the latest year for which information is available. The unemployment rate in 2023 was 5.6%. Disaggregated by sex, the rate was 8.3% for women and 3.8% for men. The literacy rate was 98.5% in 2022. In men, this figure was 98.9%; in women, 98.1%. In addition, 23.9% of the population were below the national poverty line in 2021, a decrease from 25.6% in 2017. In 2022, 0.8% of the population was living in poverty, defined as the percentage of the population with an income of less than US$ 2.15 per day; this is below the regional average of 2.6%.

During the period 2000-2022, the country improved its score on the Human Development Index, with an increase of 18.6% (from a score of 0.646 to a score of 0.766); during the same period, the index rose 14.6% internationally and 11.2% in Latin America (Figure 2).

In 2021, public expenditure on health accounted for 3.29% of gross domestic product (GDP) (Figure 3) and 17.74% of total public expenditure, while out-of-pocket spending on health accounted for 23.59% of total health expenditure.

Digital coverage

In 2021, 85.2% of the population had an internet connection, representing a considerable increase from 2000, when 3.7% of the population had an internet connection.

Health situation

Maternal and child health

Between 2000 and 2018, infant mortality in Dominican Republic decreased from 39.1 to 22.7 deaths per 1000 live births, a decrease of 41.9% (Figure 4). The percentage of low-weight births (less than 2500 g) decreased from 10.9% to 8.0% between 2007 and 2021, while exclusive breastfeeding in the child population up to 6 months of age was 11.0% in 2000, the same value as in 2000, and 4.6% in 2014 (the latest year for which information is available).

Regarding the immunization strategy, measles vaccination coverage was 91% in 2022, an increase of three percentage points from 2000.

The maternal mortality ratio in 2020 was estimated at 107.3 deaths per 100 000 live births, representing a 35.8% increase compared to the estimated value in 2000 (Figure 5). In relation to fertility, it is estimated that in 2024 women had an average of 2.2 children throughout their reproductive lives. In the specific case of adolescent fertility, there was a 55.2% decrease, from 112.0 live births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years in 2000 to 50.2 in 2024. In 2021, 99.9% of births were attended by skilled birth personnel. Between 2002 and 2014 the percentage of pregnant people who had four or more consultations for antenatal care decreased from 93.5% to 92.9%.

Communicable diseases

In 2022, there were 36 new cases of tuberculosis per 100 000 population in Dominican Republic. In 2019, the overall tuberculosis mortality rate (age-adjusted and per 100 000 population) was 2.3 (1.1 in women and 3.6 in men).

In 2022, the estimated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection incidence rate (new diagnoses) was 61.8 per 100 000 population. The age-adjusted mortality rate for HIV was 18.9 per 100 000 population in 2019. It should be noted that during the 2000-2019 period this indicator decreased by 75.6%. There are not reported cases of human rabies in the country in 2022.

Noncommunicable diseases and risk factors

In Dominican Republic in 2023, the prevalence of tobacco use among people aged 15 and older was 8.4%. In the same age group, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 63.3% in 2022.

Also in 2016, 39% of the population reported insufficient physical activity.

In 2015, the reported prevalence of arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) among people aged 18 years or older was 21.5%, a decrease of 4.1 percentage points compared to 2000 (25.6%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, which stood at 7.4% in 2000, increased to 10.1% in 2014.

Mortality

In 2019, the adjusted rate of potentially avoidable premature mortality in the Dominican Republic was 380 deaths per 100 000 population, an increase of 2.3% from a rate of 371.3 in 2000. This meant that, in 2019, the rate in the country was 67.6% higher than the average rate reported for the Region of the Americas as a whole. Among potentially preventable premature deaths, the rate for preventable causes was 219.8 per 100 000 population in 2019, which is 60.3% higher than the regional average rate; and the rate for treatable causes was 160.2 per 100 000 population, below the regional average of 89.6.

The overall age-adjusted mortality rate was 7 per 1000 population in 2019, an increase of 9.1% compared to 2000 (6.4 deaths per 1000 population).

When deaths are categorized into three main groups, it is observed that, in 2019, the age-adjusted mortality rate from communicable diseases was 85.4 per 100 000 population (92.1 per 100 000 in men and 78.6 per 100 000 in women), while the age-adjusted mortality rate from noncommunicable diseases was 512.7 per 100 000 population (583.4 per 100 000 in men and 448.3 per 100 000 in women). The rate of age-adjusted mortality from external causes was 108.4 per 100 000 population (183.1 per 100 000 in men and 36.6 per 100 000 in women), including road traffic accidents (67.2 per 100 000 population), homicides (18.1 per 100 000 population), and suicides (5.1 per 100 000 population). In 2000, the percentage distribution of causes was 51.5% for noncommunicable diseases, 34.9% for communicable diseases, and 13.6% for external causes; in 2019, the percentages were 79.6%, 12.6%, and 15.5%, respectively (Figure 6).

Cancer mortality

Regarding cancer mortality from tumors, in 2019, the adjusted mortality rate from prostate cancer was 35.4 per 100 000 men; lung cancer, 15.7 per 100 000; and colorectal cancer, 9 per 100 000. In women, these values were 28.3 deaths per 100 000 for breast cancer; 9.9 per 100 000 for lung cancer; and 8 per 100 000 for colorectal cancer.

The sources of the interagency indicators used in this profile can be found in this table.