The Dominican Republic is a sovereign state occupying the eastern five-eighths of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The country has the ninth-largest economy in Latin America and is the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region. [1] [2] Though long known for agriculture and mining, the economy is now dominated by services. [3] Over the last two decades, the Dominican Republic have been standing out as one of the fastest-growing economies in the Americas - with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.4% between 1992 and 2014. [4] GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 reached 7.3 and 7.0%, respectively, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. [4] In the first half of 2016 the Dominican economy grew 7.4% continuing its trend of rapid economic growth. [5]
For further information on the types of business entities in this country and their abbreviations, see "Business entities in the Dominican Republic".
This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.
Name | Industry | Sector | Headquarters | Founded | Notes | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerolíneas Mas | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 2005 | Airline, defunct 2015 | P | D |
Aeromar Líneas Aéreas Dominicanas | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 1998 | Airline, defunct 2003 | P | D |
Aeronaves Dominicanas | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 1980 | Charter airline | P | A |
Air Century | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 1992 | Charter airline | P | A |
Air Inter Island | Consumer services | Airlines | Punta Cana | 2003 | Charter airline | P | A |
Banco Intercontinental | Financials | Banks | Santo Domingo | 1986 | Bank, defunct 2003 | P | D |
Banco León | Financials | Banks | Santo Domingo | 2003 | Bank | P | A |
Barceló Export Import | Consumer goods | Distillers & vintners | Santo Domingo | 1930 | Distilled beverages | P | A |
J. Armando Bermúdez & Co. | Consumer goods | Distillers & vintners | Santiago de los Caballeros | 1852 | Distilled beverages | P | A |
Brugal & Cía. | Consumer goods | Distillers & vintners | Puerto Plata | 1888 | Distilled beverages | P | A |
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic | Financials | Banks | Santo Domingo | 1962 | Central bank | S | A |
Cervecería Nacional Dominicana | Consumer goods | Brewers | Santo Domingo | 1929 | Brewery | P | A |
Claro República Dominicana | Telecommunications | Fixed line telecommunications | Santo Domingo | 1930 | Wireline and wireless | P | A |
Dominicana de Aviación | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 1944 | Airline, defunct 1999 | P | D |
Grupo Corripio | Conglomerates | - | Santo Domingo | 1917 | Media, industrials, financials | P | A |
Grupo León Jimenes | Consumer goods | Brewers | Santo Domingo | 1903 | Brewing | P | A |
Grupo Vimenca | Financials | Banks | Santo Domingo | 1950 | Banking, financial services | P | A |
Metaldom | Industrials | Steel | Santo Domingo | 1968 | Steel | P | A |
MATASA | Consumer goods | Tobacco | Santiago de los Caballeros | 1974 | Cigars | P | A |
Royal Lavanderia | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Santo Domingo | 1995 | Dry cleaning | P | A |
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales | Consumer services | Airlines | Santo Domingo | 1981 | Airline | P | A |
Tricom S.A. | Telecommunications | Fixed line telecommunications | Santo Domingo | 1988 | Landlines | P | A |
Trilogy Dominicana (Viva) | Telecommunications | Mobile telecommunications | Santo Domingo | 1883 | Mobile network | P | A |
The economy of the Bahamas is dependent upon tourism and offshore banking. The Bahamas is the richest country in the West Indies and is ranked 14th in North America for nominal GDP. It is a stable, developing nation in the Lucayan Archipelago, with a population of 391,232 (2016). Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth for many years. The slowdown in the Economy of the United States and the September 11 attacks held back growth in these sectors from 2001 to 2003.
The economy of the Dominican Republic is the seventh largest in Latin America, and is the largest in the Caribbean and Central American region. The Dominican Republic is an upper-middle income developing country with important sectors including mining, tourism, manufacturing, energy, real estate, infrastructure, telecommunications and agriculture. The Dominican Republic is on track to achieve its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2030, and is expected to grow 79% in this decade. The country is the site of the single largest gold mine in Latin America, the Pueblo Viejo mine. Although the service sector is currently the leading employer of Dominicans, agriculture remains an important sector in terms of the domestic market and is in second place in terms of export earnings. Tourism accounts for more than $7.4 billion in annual earnings in 2019. Free-trade zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. A leading growth engine in the Free-trade zone sector is the production of medical equipment for export having a value-added per employee of US$20,000, total revenue of US$1.5 billion, and a growth rate of 7.7% in 2019. The medical instrument export sector represents one of the highest-value added sectors of the country's economy, a true growth engine for the country's emerging market. Remittances are an important sector of the economy, contributing US$8.2 billion in 2020. Most of these funds are used to cover household expenses, such as housing, food, clothing, health care and education. Secondarily, remittances have financed businesses and productive activities. Thirdly, this combined effect has induced investment by the private sector and helps fund the public sector through its value-added tax. The combined import market including the free-trade-zones amounts to a market of $20 billion a year in 2019. The combined export sector had revenues totaling $11 billion in 2019. The consumer market is equivalent to $61 billion in 2019. An important indicator is the average commercial loan interest rate, which directs short-term investment and stimulates long-term investment in the economy. It is currently 8.30%, as of June 2021.
The economy of Grenada is largely tourism-based, small, and open economy. Over the past two decades, the main thrust of Grenada's economy has shifted from agriculture to services, with tourism serving as the leading foreign currency earning sector. The country's principal export crops are the spices nutmeg and mace. Other crops for export include cocoa, citrus fruits, bananas, cloves, and cinnamon. Manufacturing industries in Grenada operate mostly on a small scale, including production of beverages and other foodstuffs, textiles, and the assembly of electronic components for export.
The economy of Latvia is an open economy in Europe and is part of the European Single Market. Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1999, a member of the European Union since 2004, a member of the Eurozone since 2014 and a member of the OECD since 2016. Latvia is ranked the 14th in the world by the Ease of Doing Business Index prepared by the World Bank Group. According to the Human Development Report 2023/24 by the United Nations Development Programme, has a HDI score of a 0.879. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly developed, along with timber and wood processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronic devices.
The economy of Nicaragua is focused primarily on the agricultural sector. Nicaragua itself is the least developed country in Central America, and the second least developed in the Americas by nominal GDP, behind only Haiti. In recent years, under the administrations of Daniel Ortega, the Nicaraguan economy has expanded somewhat, following the Great Recession, when the country's economy actually contracted by 1.5%, due to decreased export demand in the American and Central American markets, lower commodity prices for key agricultural exports, and low remittance growth. The economy saw 4.5% growth in 2010 thanks to a recovery in export demand and growth in its tourism industry. Nicaragua's economy continues to post growth, with preliminary indicators showing the Nicaraguan economy growing an additional 5% in 2011. Consumer Price inflation have also curtailed since 2008, when Nicaragua's inflation rate hovered at 19.82%. In 2009 and 2010, the country posted lower inflation rates, 3.68% and 5.45%, respectively. Remittances are a major source of income, equivalent to 15% of the country's GDP, which originate primarily from Costa Rica, the United States, and European Union member states. Approximately one million Nicaraguans contribute to the remittance sector of the economy.
The economy of Slovakia is based upon Slovakia becoming an EU member state in 2004, and adopting the euro at the beginning of 2009. Its capital, Bratislava, is the largest financial centre in Slovakia. As of Q1 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.72%.
The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is the third wealthiest in the Caribbean and the fifth-richest by GDP (PPP) per capita in the Americas. Trinidad and Tobago is recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth is attributed to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.
The economy of Guyana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 19.9% in 2021. In 2024, Guyana had a per capita gross domestic product of Int$80,137 and an average GDP growth of 4.2% over the previous decade. Guyana's economy was transformed in 2015 with the discovery of an offshore oil field in the country's waters about 190 km from Georgetown, making the first commercial-grade crude oil draw in December 2019, sending it abroad for refining.
The economy of Bahrain is heavily dependent upon oil and gas. The Bahraini Dinar is the second-highest-valued currency unit in the world. Since the late 20th century, Bahrain has heavily invested in the banking and tourism sectors. The country's capital, Manama is home to many large financial structures. Bahrain's finance industry is very successful. In 2008, Bahrain was named the world's fastest growing financial center by the City of London's Global Financial Centres Index. Bahrain's banking and financial services sector, particularly Islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil. Petroleum is Bahrain's most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. Aluminium is the second most exported product, followed by finance and construction materials.
The economy of Aruba is an open system, with tourism currently providing the largest percentage of the country's income. Because of tourism's rapid growth in the last 80 years, related industries like construction have also flourished in Aruba. Other primary industries include oil refining and storage, as well as offshore banking. Despite the island's low rainfall in the past year, the people have proven that Aruba's soil is full of nutrients and many crops do amazingly well in the soil. Many more locals have started participating more to horticulture, permaculture and agriculture. Creating a start to an internal economy. Aloe cultivation, livestock, and fishing also contribute to Aruba's economy. In addition, the country also exports art and collectibles, machinery, electrical equipment, and transport equipment. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to many unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
The economy of North America comprises more than 596 million people in its 24 sovereign states and 15 dependent territories. It is marked by a sharp division between the predominantly English speaking countries of Canada and the United States, which are among the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world, and countries of Central America and the Caribbean in the former Latin America that are less developed. Mexico and Caribbean nations of the Commonwealth of Nations are between the economic extremes of the development of North America.
The economy of the Middle East is very diverse, with national economies ranging from hydrocarbon-exporting rentiers to centralized socialist economies and free-market economies. The region is best known for oil production and export, which significantly impacts the entire region through the wealth it generates and through labor utilization. In recent years, many of the countries in the region have undertaken efforts to diversify their economies.
The economy of Central America is the eleventh-largest economy in Latin America, behind Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. According to the World Bank, the nominal GDP of Central America reached 204 billion US dollar in 2010, as recovery from the crisis of 2009, where gross domestic product (GDP) suffered a decline to 3.8%. The major economic sectors are agriculture and tourism, although the industrial sector has shown strong growth, mainly in Panama.
The Dominican Republic, a country in the Caribbean, boasts one of the region's most dynamic economies. With a GDP of approximately 127.356 billion USD in 2024, it stands out as one of the largest economies in the Caribbean. The GDP per capita, a measure reflecting the average economic output per person, is around US$11,774, highlighting the country's relative economic development compared to its Caribbean neighbors.