Dominican Republic/

The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy’s largest employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for nearly 60% of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about a tenth of GDP, equivalent to almost half of exports and three-quarters of tourism receipts. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment and underemployment remains an important long-term challenge. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and exports and reducing losses to the Asian garment industry. The growth of the Dominican Republic’s economy slowed in 2008-09 because of the global recession, but still remained one of the fastest growing in the region.

$84.94 billion (2010 est.)

$81.52 billion (2009 est.)

$78.76 billion (2008 est.)

$50.87 billion (2010 est.)

4.2% (2010 est.)

3.5% (2009 est.)

5.3% (2008 est.)

$8,600 (2010 est.)

$8,400 (2009 est.)

$8,200 (2008 est.)

4.498 million (2010 est.)

14.2% (2010 est.)

14.9% (2009 est.)

42.2% (2004)

49.9 (2005)

47.4 (1998)

15.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

41.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

40.8% of GDP (2009 est.)

6.3% (2010 est.)

1.4% (2009 est.)

18.14% (31 December 2009 est.)

19.95% (31 December 2008 est.)

$4.734 billion (31 December 2010 est)

$4.079 billion (31 December 2009 est)

$15.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$14 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$21.63 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$18.91 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$NA

sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

1.5% (2010 est.)

14.02 billion kWh (2007 est.)

12.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

118,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

116,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

470 million cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

470 million cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$3.862 billion (2010 est.)

-$2.328 billion (2009 est.)

$6.161 billion (2010 est.)

$5.462 billion (2009 est.)

ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods

US 54.08%, Haiti 9.78% (2009)

$14.53 billion (2010 est.)

$12.28 billion (2009 est.)

foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

US 42.79%, Venezuela 7.04%, Mexico 6.17%, Colombia 5.59% (2009)

$2.705 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$2.905 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$13.09 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$11.04 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$19.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$17.95 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$NA (31 December 2010 est.)

$59 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar - 36.92 (2010), 36.027 (2009), 34.775 (2008), 33.113 (2007), 33.406 (2006)