Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

The Dominican Republic (DR), often referred to as the Republic of Colors for its astounding diversity and beauty, is located just 650 miles (1,046 km) south of Miami. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to its north and the Caribbean Sea on its south, the lush tropical island paradise boasts nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of coastline including sandy-white beaches, amazing beauty and sophisticated tourism offerings that attract international visitors, sports champions and celebrities alike.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures

Location/Geography: The DR occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The western third is the Republic of Haiti. The size of Maine and Vermont combined, the DR is the second largest country in the Caribbean, comprising an area of approximately 30,000 m2 (48,198 km2).

Population: The DR has a population of more than 11.38 million people as off January 2024

Capital City: The capital city of the DR is Santo Domingo, with a population of nearly 2.2 million. Santo Domingo’s Colonial City is the oldest city of the New World and was named cultural capital of the Americas for 2010.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

Government: The DR’s political structure is based on the principles of democracy (representative democracy). Every four years, the country elects its president, vice president and legislators.

Political Parties: The DR has four major political parties including Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) the current government, Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC).

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

Language: Spanish is the official language of the DR. However, the majority of employees in hotels and tourist destinations speak relatively good English, as well as French, German and Italian. If visitors intend to venture out beyond the tourist hubs it will be helpful to learn a few basic Spanish phrases.

Currency: The Dominican peso (RD$) is the official currency of the DR. For the past several years, the exchange rate has been very favorable to the U.S. dollar so vacation budgets stretch further in the DR. For an up-to-date exchange rate between the Dominican peso and other currencies, visit:
Currency Convertor

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

Major credit cards and traveler checks are accepted at many tourist areas in the country. Visitors can bring Dominican pesos with them, but U.S. dollars are just as easily accepted throughout the country. (U.S. coins are not used or accepted.) ATMs can be found in the majority of Dominican cities and at most resorts.

Climate: The DR enjoys warm, tropical weather year-round. Depending on the location, an average day may see full sun or a sun/cloud mix. The average year-round temperatures are 78˚ to 88˚ F (25˚ to 31˚ C). The cooler season is November through April, while the temperature is at its warmest from May through October. The sun always shines quickly after a rain in the DR. The chance for more prolonged rain showers is generally from June to November and the dry season from December to May.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

Time: The local time zone is Eastern Caribbean Time (GMT-0400). In the winter this is one hour ahead of Eastern Time. The DR does not observe daylight savings time.
Religion: The DR’s religious population consists mostly of Roman Catholic, but also includes Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist and Mormon.

Phone Code: The DR’s international access code is 809, 829 and 849.

Independence: The DR gained independence from Haiti on Feb. 27, 1844.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024 about the diversity of the geography and its people

Topography: The DR is mostly mountainous, with deserts in the extreme western regions. The principal mountain range is the Cordillera Central. The country contains both the highest mountain in the West Indies, Duarte, at 10,417 feet (3,175 meters) and the lowest-lying lake, Lake Enriquillo at 151 feet (46 meters) below sea level. The Yaque del Norte, the Yaque del Sur and the Yuna are the principal rivers.

Ethnic Groups: The DR consists of three main ethnic groups including European at 16 percent of the population, African origin at 11 percent and a mixed population at 73 percent.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

Economy: Traditionally, the economy of the DR has been based primarily on agriculture, with sugar, coffee and tobacco as the main export crops. Over the last few years the services sector has become the largest employer (about 60 percent of the labor force), led by tourism, which creates approximately 196,000 jobs annually.

Tourism: In 2023, tourist arrivals remained growing with more than 10 million guests choosing the DR as their vacation destination.
The most popular destination in the DR for visitors continues to be Punta Cana on the East Coast, as its international airport received over 4.6 million resident and nonresident arrivals in 2023.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

The second most visited airport is Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo with nearly 3.5 million arrivals followed by Puerto Plata International Airport on the North Coast, El Cibao International Airport in the Central region, La Romana International Airport, also on the East Coast, El Catey International Airport on the Northeast Coast going to the Samana Peninsula and Las Terrenas and La Isabela International Airport, also in Santo Domingo.

The Dominican Ministry of Tourism also provided important information on the country’s tourism industry. The Ministry revealed that over 10 million tourists visited the country, and that the industry generated approximately US$10.1 billion, representing a 9.2% general increase. The total number of hotel rooms in the D.R. during 2015 closed with 70,030 rooms.

Dominican Republic Facts and Figures 2024

The countries that generated the highest number of tourists to the D.R. were the United States (4 million tourists); Canada 898,000); Germany (247,000); France (227,000); Spain (172,000); Venezuela (167,000); England (142,000); Brazil (140,000), Argentina (133,000) and Puerto Rico (115,000).

In 2023, cruise ship visits were up 24 percent, Cruise ship arrivals in the DR have increased throughout the past two years; 942,000 arrivals in 2023;

For more information go to the official website Dominican Republic