The Dominican Republic

https://www.humantruth.info/dominican_republic.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Dominican Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	84th best
Capital	Santo Domingo
Land Area	48 320km²₁
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	10.6m₂
Life Expectancy	72.61yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$17 990 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	DO, DOM, 214₅
Internet Domain	.do₆
Currency	Peso (DOP)₇
Telephone	+₈

1. Overview

#france #spain #USA

“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 United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. 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 since reelected to a second consecutive term.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Much more than beach resorts, the Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean´s most geographically diverse countries, with an evocative colonial history and warm welcoming people. The Dominican Republic (DR) is defined by its hundreds of miles of coastline - some with picturesque white-sand beaches shaded by rows of palm trees, other parts lined dramatically with rocky cliffs. Symbolizing both limits and escapes, the sea is the common denominator across fishing villages, where the shoreline is used for mooring boats, indulgent tourist playgrounds, small towns, and cities like Santo Domingo - the Caribbean´s largest and the site of New World firsts.
Beyond the capital, much of the DR is distinctly rural. Further inland are vistas reminiscent of the European alps: four of the Caribbean´s five highest peaks rise above the fertile lowlands surrounding Santiago. Remote deserts extend through the southwest, giving the DR a complexity not found on other islands. The country´s roller-coaster past is writ large in the diversity of its ethnicities, not to mention the physical design of its towns and cities.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Dominican Republic National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
79	China	0.768
80=	Moldova	0.767
80=	Palau	0.767
80=	Dominican Rep.	0.767
83	Cuba	0.764
84	Peru	0.762
85	Armenia	0.759
86	Mexico	0.758
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
66	Costa Rica	$19 974
67	Serbia	$19 123
68	Belarus	$18 849
69	Dominican Rep.	$17 990
70	Mexico	$17 896
71	Nauru	$17 730
72	China	$17 504
73	Thailand	$17 030
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
81	Dominica	84.7
82	Morocco	84.8
83	Cape Verde	84.8
84	Dominican Rep.	85.7
85	Kazakhstan	85.9
86	Belarus	86.0
87	Vatican City	86.3
88	UAE	86.5
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Dominican Republic's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

The Dominican Republic's population is predicted to rise to 12.06 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.25. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
82	Haiti	11.1m
83	S. Sudan	11.0m
84	Czechia	10.7m
85	Dominican Rep.	10.6m
86	Greece	10.5m
87	Portugal	10.3m
88	Sweden	10.0m
89	Jordan	10.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
88	Dominican Rep.	72.6
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
40	Panama	2.30
41	Morocco	2.30
42	Ireland	1.70
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100=	Dominican Rep.	15.6
100=	Venezuela	15.6
100=	Kazakhstan	15.6
103	Ecuador	16.0
104	Morocco	16.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
90	St Vincent & Grenadines	4.2%
91	Czechia	4.1%
92	Uganda	3.9%
93	Dominican Rep.	3.9%
94	Mauritania	3.8%
95	Namibia	3.8%
96	Burkina Faso	3.7%
97	Trinidad & Tobago	3.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
65	Liberia	10.5%
66	Uruguay	10.5%
67	Hong Kong	10.2%
68	Dominican Rep.	10.1%
69	Zimbabwe	9.9%
70	Haiti	9.9%
71	San Marino	9.9%
72	Burkina Faso	9.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Dominican Republic's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #dominican_republic #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
18	Guatemala	77.1
19	Jamaica	78.8
20	Honduras	79.4
21	Dominican Rep.	79.7
22	Colombia	80.7
23	Paraguay	83.7
24	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
25	Belize	86.3
26	St Lucia	90.3
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
70	Northern Cyprus	79.1
71	Honduras	79.4
72	Hong Kong	79.6
73	Dominican Rep.	79.7
74	Mongolia	80.4
75	Colombia	80.7
76	Georgia	81.4
77	Kiribati	81.6
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#dominican_republic #freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
40	Fiji	71.20
41	Gabon	70.65
42	Macedonia	70.44
43	Dominican Rep.	69.87
44	Samoa	69.28
45	Seychelles	68.56
46	Tonga	68.39
47	Belize	68.32
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		Total Per 1000₂₂
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
95=	Oman	6.50
96=	Hungary	6.60
96=	Mexico	6.60
96=	Dominican Rep.	6.60
99=	Bahrain	6.70
99=	Indonesia	6.70
101=	Libya	6.80
101=	Qatar	6.80
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₃
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
60	Jamaica	60
61=	Haiti	61
61=	Fiji	61
63	Dominican Rep.	63
64	Cambodia	64
65	Madagascar	65
66	Brunei	66
67	Serbia	67
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
93=	India	3.0
93=	Fiji	3.0
93=	Ecuador	3.0
93=	Dominican Rep.	3.0
93=	Albania	3.0
93=	Bolivia	3.0
93=	Hungary	3.0
100=	Papua New Guinea	3.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
109=	Cape Verde	15
109=	Bangladesh	15
109=	Mozambique	15
112=	Dominican Rep.	14
112=	Kenya	14
112=	Japan	14
112=	Jamaica	14
112=	Jordan	14
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
95	Azerbaijan	10.08
96	Lebanon	10.14
97	Afghanistan	10.23
98	Dominican Rep.	10.24
99	Kuwait	10.36
100	Laos	10.53
101	Cambodia	10.56
102	Ghana	10.64
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Dominican Republic stated:

“Lawmakers again failed to table a revised Criminal Code that would decriminalize abortion and provide protections for LGBTI people. President Abinader committed to police reform. Reports of discrimination against Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent continued as construction of a wall along the Haitian border commenced.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₆

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

The Dominican Rep. has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2022₂₇
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
104	Samoa	0.42
105	Bolivia	0.42
106	Paraguay	0.43
107	Dominican Rep.	0.44
108	Algeria	0.44
109	Morocco	0.44
110	Indonesia	0.44
111	India	0.45
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
43	Myanmar	1935
44	Philippines	1937
45	Uzbekistan	1938
46	Dominican Rep.	1942
47=	Bulgaria	1944
47=	France	1944
47=	Bermuda	1944
47=	Jamaica	1944
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#antisemitism #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2014 %₂₈
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
70=	Peru	38
71=	Colombia	41
71=	Hungary	41
71=	Dominican Rep.	41
74	Serbia	42
75=	Bulgaria	44
75=	Mauritius	44
77	Poland	45
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		Total Score₂₉
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
110	Honduras	-0.51
111	Mozambique	-0.55
112	Vanuatu	-0.61
113	Dominican Rep.	-0.63
114	Palau	-0.65
115	Congo, (Brazzaville)	-0.68
116	Guinea-Bissau	-0.73
117	Madagascar	-0.76
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Homosexuality has been legal in the Dominican Republic since 1822 when the Haitian Penal Code was applied. Harrassment of LGBT folk occured under general 'morality' law, which was removed in 1997 when the Civilian Penal Code was reformed, but military bans remained. Fearing the worldwide spread of tolerance, the new Constitution of 2010 explicitly defined marriage as between a man and a woman, blocking same-sex marriage. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Dominican Republic had legal protections against anti-LGBT and other protections. The country today (2025) offers no recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions, bans adoption by same-sex couples, and has weak protections against discrimination. LGBT people can serve in the military, but face harassment.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2021₃₀
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
114=	Zambia	3.3
114=	Trinidad & Tobago	3.3
114=	St Lucia	3.3
114=	Dominican Rep.	3.3
114=	Armenia	3.3
114=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.3
114=	Brazil	3.3
114=	Cameroon	3.3
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Dominican Republic's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Canada	62.0
2	Cuba	62.5
3	Antigua & Barbuda	63.9
	...
29	Peru	103.9
30	Bermuda	104.3
31	Belize	106.0
32	Dominican Rep.	109.1
33	Puerto Rico	109.9
34	Paraguay	110.0
35	Honduras	110.3
36	Venezuela	111.1
37	Nicaragua	112.0
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=41.

Health (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
126	Philippines	106.3
127	Bangladesh	107.0
128	Botswana	108.2
129	Dominican Rep.	109.1
130	Puerto Rico	109.9
131	Paraguay	110.0
132	Honduras	110.3
133	India	110.5
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₂.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

The Dominican Republic does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. The Dominican Rep. comes in the best 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₃. It does better than average when it comes to its smoking rate₃₄, its fertility rate₁₅, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. But, things still need to improve in The Dominican Rep.. The Dominican Rep. does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₃₇, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₈, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₉, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₄₀ and in its adolescent birth rate₄₁. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in the Dominican Republic only improved by +6.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. It is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 7.56 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
88	Dominican Rep.	72.6
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₇
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
101	Cambodia	6.7
102=	Belize	6.8
102=	Sao Tome & Principe	6.8
104	Dominican Rep.	6.9
105=	Antigua & Barbuda	7.0
105=	Niue	7.0
107=	China	7.2
107=	Paraguay	7.2
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
35	Bulgaria	1.78
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.78
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
40	Panama	2.30
41	Morocco	2.30
42	Ireland	1.70
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		Total %₃₄
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
32	Malawi	9.7%
33	Ecuador	10.2%
34=	Gambia	10.5%
34=	Dominican Rep.	10.5%
36	Kenya	10.7%
37	Paraguay	10.8%
38	Cape Verde	11.0%
39	Guyana	11.2%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate₃₃
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₃
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
13	St Lucia	4.9
14	Tajikistan	5.2
15	Venezuela	6.5
16	Malta	6.9
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Poland	79
80	Uruguay	80
81	Dominican Rep.	81
82	Zambia	82
83	Croatia	83
84	Indonesia	84
85	Bolivia	85
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
83	Tajikistan	26.4
84	Uzbekistan	27.1
85	St Kitts & Nevis	27.2
86=	Dominican Rep.	27.3
86=	Oman	27.3
86=	Kyrgyzstan	27.3
89	Vanuatu	27.5
90=	Jamaica	28.0
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₂
Pos.		2022 %₄₂
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
126	UK	28.7%
127	Brazil	28.8%
128	Suriname	29.0%
129	Dominican Rep.	29.1%
130	Trinidad & Tobago	29.2%
131	Ukraine	29.2%
132	Latvia	29.8%
133	El Salvador	29.9%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₄₁
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
144	Namibia	63.1
145	Guatemala	63.2
146	Vanuatu	63.2
147	Dominican Rep.	63.2
148	Nepal	63.4
149	Ghana	63.4
150	Eritrea	63.6
151	Senegal	64.6
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₈
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
120=	Georgia	91.0
120=	Marshall Islands	91.0
122	Kosovo	90.9
123	Dominican Rep.	90.9
124	British Virgin Islands	90.9
125=	San Marino	90.7
125=	India	90.7
127	Senegal	90.5
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		2015 Avg %₄₀
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
139	Dominican Rep.	86.3
140	Panama	86.1
141	Belarus	85.3
142=	Canada	85.2
142=	Guatemala	85.2
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₉
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
133	Bolivia	33.37
134	Guyana	33.43
135	Cambodia	33.56
136	Dominican Rep.	34.90
137	Marshall Islands	35.97
138	Nepal	39.44
139	S. Africa	39.83
140	Bangladesh	40.07
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

The Dominican Republic was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it was still amongst only 37 countries that fell into the same grouping.

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #deforestation #dominican_republic_and_the_environment #domnican_republic_environment #environmentalism #hispaniola #the_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
47	Hungary	65.8
	The Americas Avg	92.66
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, the Dominican Rep. ranks 45th in the world. This is calculated from 21 data sets. The Dominican Rep. does better than average for energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ (the lowest in The Americas), its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₆ (but low for The Americas) and in its environmental performance₄₇. After some long periods of intensive top-down protection of the environment from the 1930s, the majority of the population came to adopt many wise sustainable principles. The Dominican Republic has 74 parks or reserves, covering 32% of the country's land, and has a "vigorous indigenous conservation movement with many non-governmental organizations staffed by Dominicans themselves [and not] foisted on the country by foreign advisors"₄₈. The Dominican Rep. still has work to do. The Dominican Rep. does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₉ (still low for The Americas) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its score on the Green Future Index₅₀ (amongst the worst in The Americas).

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

The Dominican Republic and the Environment

7. Dominican Republic's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #metric #modernity #religion #religiosity #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
1	Canada	30.9
2	Argentina	34.3
3	Chile	41.0
	...
10	Ecuador	57.6
11	Bolivia	60.5
12	Colombia	61.0
13=	Dominican Rep.	65.7
13=	Panama	65.7
15	Venezuela	66.3
16	Suriname	71.1
17	Paraguay	74.9
18	Barbados	78.7
	The Americas Avg	77.96
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
78	UK	64.5
79	Seychelles	64.9
80=	Panama	65.7
80=	Dominican Rep.	65.7
82	Albania	65.8
83	Thailand	66.0
84	Venezuela	66.3
85	Turkmenistan	66.8
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₅₂. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₃.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₄

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₂.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
119	Guatemala	119
120	Niger	120
121	El Salvador	121
122	Dominican Rep.	122
123	Oman	123
124	Chad	124
125	Brunei	125
126	Ivory Coast	126
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2025 %₅₅
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
41=	Uruguay	95
41=	Croatia	95
41=	Guatemala	95
41=	Dominican Rep.	95
41=	Egypt	95
41=	El Salvador	95
41=	Bulgaria	95
41=	Estonia	95
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Dominican Republic officially adopted metric in 1912₅₆. Progression:

1960 (70%): Metric official; traditional units common informally.
1970 (85%): Standardization in commerce/education.
1980 (95%): Metric dominant across sectors.
2000 (95%).
2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
68=	Puerto Rico	77
68=	Malaysia	77
68=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
74=	Bangladesh	80
74=	India	80
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2006₅₈
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
92=	India	82
92=	Bangladesh	82
92=	Lebanon	82
92=	Dominican Rep.	82
92=	Madagascar	82
97=	Egypt	81
97=	Honduras	81
97=	Nicaragua	81
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2018₅₉
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
97	Zimbabwe	58.7%
98	Gabon	57.6%
99	Libya	57.4%
100	Dominican Rep.	56.6%
101	Uruguay	56.0%
102	Lebanon	54.9%
103	Portugal	54.2%
104	Turkey	53.1%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2021 Years₆₀
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
71	Oman	14.6
72	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
73	Slovakia	14.5
74	Dominican Rep.	14.5
75	Albania	14.4
76	Cuba	14.4
77	Colombia	14.4
78	Moldova	14.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2015 Score₆₁
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
63	Brazil	1185
64	Peru	1182
65	Lebanon	1129
66	Tunisia	1114
67	Macedonia	1107
68	Kosovo	1087
69	Algeria	1086
70	Dominican Rep.	1018
	The Americas Avg	1287
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2016₆₂
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
94	China	52%
95=	Vietnam	52%
95=	S. Africa	52%
97	Dominican Rep.	52%
98	Uzbekistan	51%
99	Armenia	50%
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₃
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
53	Spain	0.6
54	St Kitts & Nevis	0.6
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₄
Pos.		2024₆₄
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
72	Armenia	43.9%
73	Belarus	43.5%
74	Georgia	43.4%
75	Dominican Rep.	43.4%
76	Ecuador	43.3%
77	Mauritius	42.9%
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Dominican Republic's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2022 %₆₅
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
39=	Ethiopia	44.0
39=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
39=	Paraguay	44.0
39=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
39=	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
39=	Mexico	44.0
39=	Costa Rica	44.0
46=	Vietnam	43.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2022 Points₆₆
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
121=	Angola	33.0
121=	Philippines	33.0
123=	Kenya	32.0
123=	Dominican Rep.	32.0
123=	Niger	32.0
126=	Uzbekistan	31.0
126=	Laos	31.0
126=	Mexico	31.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2024 Score₆₇
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
73=	Jamaica	5.9
74	Bolivia	5.9
75	Kyrgyzstan	5.9
76	Dominican Rep.	5.8
77	Mongolia	5.8
78	Mauritius	5.8
79	Libya	5.8
80	Moldova	5.8
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
122	Zimbabwe	122
123	Egypt	123
124	Burkina Faso	124
125	Dominican Rep.	125
126	Oman	126
127	Mozambique	127
128	Niger	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		Total Q₆₈
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
119	Kenya	72.8
120	Indonesia	72.5
121	Tanzania	71.8
122=	Dominican Rep.	70.5
122=	Zambia	70.5
124	Tunisia	70.2
125	Azerbaijan	69.3
126	Gambia	69.0
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
73	Chile	73
74	Macedonia	74
75	Oman	75
76	Dominican Rep.	76
77	Slovenia	77
78	Guatemala	78
79	Tonga	79
80	Latvia	80
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₉
Pos.		2023 Score₆₉
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
80	China	2.01
81	Tunisia	2.01
82	Equatorial Guinea	2.01
83	Dominican Rep.	2.02
84=	Morocco	2.02
84=	Angola	2.02
86	Uzbekistan	2.03
87	Guinea-Bissau	2.05
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
126	Barbados	126
127	Chad	127
128	Montenegro	128
129	Dominican Rep.	129
130	Papua New Guinea	130
131	Syria	131
132	Belarus	132
133	Portugal	133
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
48	Czechia	48
49	Argentina	49
50	Brazil	50
51	Dominican Rep.	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	UAE	53
54	Macedonia	54
55	Zambia	55
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2019 Score₇₀
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
28=	Estonia	0.12
29	New Zealand	0.14
30	Uruguay	0.17
31	Dominican Rep.	0.18
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
34	Latvia	0.23
35	S. Korea	0.30
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₁
Pos.		Total %₇₁
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
44	USA	0.87%
45	Australia	0.99%
46	Bulgaria	1.00%
47	Dominican Rep.	1.12%
48	Chile	1.12%
49	Japan	1.21%
50	Egypt	1.37%
51	Jamaica	1.39%
	The Americas Avg	4.07%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		2019₇₂
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
117	Iraq	15.90
118	Micronesia	16.10
119	Tajikistan	16.70
120=	Dominican Rep.	17.00
120=	Sao Tome & Principe	17.00
122=	Bhutan	17.10
122=	Venezuela	17.10
124	Bangladesh	17.30
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₃
Pos.		2023 %₇₃
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₄
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₄
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₅
	...
96=	Lithuania	36.7%₇₄
96=	Yemen	36.7%₇₆
98	Mauritius	36.8%₇₇
99	Dominican Rep.	37.0%₇₈
100	Solomon Islands	37.1%₇₉
101=	Chad	37.4%₇₈
101=	Burkina Faso	37.4%₇₄
103	Burundi	37.5%₇₅
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₈₀
Pos.		2018 Severity₈₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
20	Barbados	.009
21	Macedonia	.010
22	Guyana	.014
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
24	China	.016
25	Brazil	.016₈₁
26	Belize	.017
27	Ecuador	.018
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
68=	Puerto Rico	77
68=	Malaysia	77
68=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
74=	Bangladesh	80
74=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79=	Palestine	86
79=	Uganda	86
79=	Chad	86
79=	Niger	86
83=	Kenya	87
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₈₂
Pos.		Higher is better %₈₂
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
41	USA	10
42	Trinidad & Tobago	9
43	Albania	8
44=	Dominican Rep.	7
44=	Croatia	7
44=	Kyrgyzstan	7
44=	Cambodia	7
48=	Moldova	6
48=	Italy	6
50=	Laos	5
50=	Ireland	5
50=	Mozambique	5
53=	Zimbabwe	4
53=	Namibia	4
53=	Iran	4
53=	Mexico	4
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₃:

	2010	2020
Christian	84.9%	77.6%
Unaffiliated	14.9%	19.6%
Other	<0.1%	2.69%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%₈₄.

Links: