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.

Population

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. According to the total population was in, 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.

Vital statistics

UN estimates

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

Births and deaths

Structure of the population

Fertility and births

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

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022. Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Ethnic groups

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

Age structure

Median age

Birth rate

Death rate

Total fertility rate

Net migration rate

Population growth rate

Mother's mean age at first birth

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Dependency ratios

Life expectancy at birth

Religions

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.)

Urbanization

Languages

Education expenditures

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24