Demographics of the Dominican Republic

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Demographics of Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic single age population pyramid 2020.png
Population pyramid of Dominican Republic in 2020
Population11,332,972 (last census)
Growth rate0.91% (2022 est.)
Birth rate14.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate4.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Life expectancy72.56 years
  male70.86 years
  female74.33 years (2022 est.)
Fertility rate1.80 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate21.18 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate-2.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years26.85%
15–64 years64.98%
65 and over8.17%
Sex ratio
Total1.02 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
At birth1.04 male(s)/female
Under 151.03 male(s)/female
65 and over0.73 male(s)/female
Nationality
Nationality Dominican
Major ethnic
Minor ethnic
Language
OfficialSpanish

This is a demography of the population of the Dominican Republic including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Contents

Population size and structure

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1844132,275    
1850146,835+1.76%
1860188,440+2.53%
1870243,047+2.58%
1880313,223+2.57%
1890403,638+2.57%
1900521,386+2.59%
1910694,364+2.91%
1920896,843+2.59%
19301,267,768+3.52%
19401,702,095+2.99%
19502,379,897+3.41%
19603,268,340+3.22%
19704,399,292+3.02%
19805,729,043+2.68%
19907,151,163+2.24%
20008,584,196+1.84%
20109,820,181+1.35%
202011,008,297+1.15%
Source: [2]

The area was first included in world trade in 1492 when Christopher Columbus docked on the island of Hispaniola. When Spain occupied the country in 1496, the population consisted of Arawak (Taíno Indians). When Spain returned in 1496, they founded the current capital, Santo Domingo, as the first European city in America. The country came under Spanish rule. France took over the part of Hispaniola that is today Haiti. During the colony era, The Dominican Republic acted as a sugar supplier to Spain and France. Many whites moved to the country during this period. In 1496, Santo Domingo was built and became the new capital, and remains the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the Americas. Today, two other large groups have joined, while the indigenous population has mostly disappeared. 45% of Dominicans consider themselves to have some significant Indigenous/Endemic ancestry, 18% are white, 7.8% are fully or predominantly black and 74% are mixed (Mestizo/Mulatto/"Indio"/Trigueño). About 9.2% of the Dominican population claims a European immigrant background, according to the 2021 Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas survey. During the many years that have passed since the great immigration, the races have been mixed and it can be difficult to distinguish. In terms of race, they are all similar to the other Caribbean islands. The Spaniards brought Christianity to the Dominican Republic, and today about 50% of the population reports as being Catholic. One clear remnant of the Spanish colonial era on the population is the official and widespread use of the Spanish language.

The Dominican Republic's population (1961-2003). Dominican Rep demography.png
The Dominican Republic's population (1961–2003).

According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects [3] [4] the total population was 11,117,873 in 2021, compared to 2,380,000 in 1950. The proportion of the population aged below 15 in 2010 was 31.2%, 62.8% were aged between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6% were aged 65 years or older. [5]

Group of Dominicans in the town of Moca. Dominican-people-cibao-1.jpg
Group of Dominicans in the town of Moca.
Total population
( × 1000)
Proportion
aged 0–14aged 15–64aged 65+
19502 380
45.5%
51.7%
2.7%
19552 796
46.3%
51.1%
2.6%
19603 312
48.2%
49.2%
2.6%
19653 900
48.9%
48.5%
2.6%
19704 524
47.7%
49.7%
2.7%
19755 169
45.3%
51.9%
2.8%
19805 826
42.6%
54.4%
3.1%
19856 524
40.4%
56.2%
3.4%
19907 245
38.5%
57.6%
3.9%
19957 978
37.0%
58.5%
4.5%
20008 663
34.9%
59.9%
5.1%
20059 343
33.1%
61.3%
5.7%
201010 017
31.2%
62.8%
6.0%
201510 528
30.0%
63.4%
6.7%
202011 107
28.3%
62.8%
7.6%

Structure of the population

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2017) (Data refer to national projections.): [6]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total5 082 8765 086 29610 169 172100
0–4492 808472 820965 6289.49
5–9492 702474 348967 0509.50
10–14492 107477 445969 5529.53
15–19480 035471 501951 5369.51
20–24455 440453 444930 5059.15
25–29420 715423 382844 9078.30
30–34377 850385 180763 0307.50
35–39339 877348 143688 0206.76
40–44306 907313 858616 9556.07
45–49275 488282 105557 5935.48
50–54245 299249 766495 0654.87
55–59206 257210 188416 4454.10
60–64162 912168 103331 0153.25
65–69121 894126 929248 5232.44
70–7486 73990 761177 5001.74
75–7961 13365 274126 4071.24
80+65 52373 349138 8721.36
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–141 595 8511 538 4323 134 28330.56
15–643 213 9733 268 1086 482 08163.19
65+306 501334 859641 3606.25
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021) (Data refer to national projections.): [6]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total5 259 6425 275 89310 535 535100
0–4483 891463 927947 8189.00
5–9490 677471 962962 6399.14
10–14483 264468 329951 5939.03
15–19479 169469 840949 0099.01
20–24456 645454 343910 9888.65
25–29432 645433 391866 0368.22
30–34397 618402 420800 0387.59
35–39359 670365 118724 7886.88
40–44324 954331 269656 2236.23
45–49292 170300 700592 8705.63
50–54261 184269 338530 5225.04
55–59228 775236 116464 8914.41
60–64186 503193 210379 7133.60
65–69141 674150 452292 1262.77
70–74100 692107 713208 4051.98
75–7965 82071 673137 4931.31
80+74 29186 092160 3831.52
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–141 457 8321 404 2182 862 05027.17
15–643 419 3333 455 7456 875 07865.26
65+382 477415 930798 4077.58

Vital statistics

UN estimates

Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates Dominican Republic Population 1950-2021 Forecast 2022-2032 UN World Population Prospects 2022.svg
Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates

Registration of vital events is not universal in the Dominican Republic. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates: [5]

PeriodLive births
per year
Deaths
per year
Natural change
per year
CBR*CDR*NC*TFR*IMR*Life expectancy
total
Life expectancy
males
Life expectancy
females
1950–1955140 00053 00087 00054.320.533.87.6015346.044.747.3
1955–1960163 00054 000109 00053.417.635.87.6413949.948.651.4
1960–1965178 00052 000126 00049.514.535.07.3512453.652.155.2
1965–1970186 00050 000136 00044.211.832.36.6510956.955.458.7
1970–1975190 00047 000143 00039.29.729.65.689659.858.161.8
1975–1980194 00046 000149 00035.48.327.14.768662.060.364.0
1980–1985206 00046 000160 00033.47.525.94.157564.062.166.1
1985–1990213 00046 000168 00031.06.724.33.656366.564.369.0
1990–1995218 00046 000172 00028.76.022.73.314869.066.571.9
1995–2000215 00050 000165 00025.86.019.82.984170.067.373.1
2000–2005219 00054 000165 00023.86.117.72.753571.168.174.4
2005–2010221 00058 000163 00022.06.016.02.573072.269.275.5
2010–201520.96.114.82.57
2015–202019.76.113.62.45
2020–202518.06.411.62.36
2025–203016.56.79.82.23
2030–203515.27.18.12.12
2035–204014.27.56.72.03
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Registered births and deaths

[7]

YearPopulationLive birthsDeathsNatural increaseCrude birth rateCrude death rateRate of natural increaseCrude migration rateTFR
20018,512,996194,70528,771165,93422.83.419.52.571
20028,627,509191,40926,739164,67022.13.119.0-5.72.494
20038,745,084177,85930,005147,85420.33.416.9-3.52.272
20048,857,648168,73434,716134,01819.03.915.1-2.42.142
20058,968,144166,15034,586131,56418.53.814.6-2.32.086
20069,071,458158,13732,596125,54117.43.613.8-2.41.974
20079,174,058157,03334,158122,87517.13.713.4-2.21.941
20089,279,602164,37334,252130,12117.63.714.0-2.62.025
20099,380,152168,49534,105134,39017.93.614.2-3.52.055
20109,478,612170,41436,869133,54517.93.914.0-3.62.054
20119,580,139177,13536,485140,65018.43.814.6-4.02.116
20129,680,963170,56836,753133,81517.53.813.8-3.42.028
20139,784,680172,13636,767135,36917.53.713.8-3.22.036
20149,883,486175,89741,467134,43017.74.213.5-3.52.065
20159,980,243171,42242,017129,40517.14.212.9-3.21.998
201610,075,045162,60744,366118,24116.14.411.7-2.31.883
201710,169,172171,53843,482128,05616.84.312.5-3.21.982
201810,266,149177,85442,838135,01617.24.213.0-3.62.057
201910,358,320181,13944,925136,21417.34.313.0-4.12.089
202010,448,499162,21247,264114,94815.34.510.8-2.21.878
202110,535,535170,52050,702119,81815.94.811.2-2.91.972
202210,621,938170,06946,028124,04116.04.211.8-3.71.964
202310,711,155156,02443,338112,68614.64.110.5-2.21.802
2024142,174 [8] 43,91398,26113.24.19.1

Demographic and Health Surveys

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR): [9]

YearTotalUrbanRural
CBRTFRCBRTFRCBRTFR
1965–697,1
1970–745,8
1975–794,7
1980–824,31
1983–853,69
19863,8 (2,8)3,2 (2,5)5,1 (3,5)
199130,13,3 (2,6)29,72,8 (2,3)30,54,4 (3,1)
199627,73,2 (2,5)24,42,8 (2,2)29,84,0 (3,0)
19992,9 (2,3)2,7 (2,1)3,4 (2,7)
200225,23,0 (2,3)25,32,8 (2,3)24,93,3 (2,5)
200720,42,4 (1,9)20,02,3 (1,8)21,42,8 (2,1)
201320,92,5 (2,0)21,22,4 (1,9)20,32,6 (2,1)

Ethnic groups

Dominicans of full or predominant European descent: 17.8%, Mixed (Mestizo, Mulatto, "Indio", Triracial) descent: 74.4%, Afro descent: 7.8%

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

Religion

Roman Catholic 51.3%, Evangelical 13%, Protestant 7.9%, Adventist 1.4%, other 1.8%, atheist 0.2%, none 22.4%, unspecified 2% (2018 est.)


Languages


See also

Census information:

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References

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  2. "Dominican Republic Population, 10,000 BCE to 2023". Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
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  8. "La Junta Central Electoral presenta informe estadístico de actos del estado civil de 2024". Junta Central Electoral. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
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