Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
- Background
- Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Britain in 1763, and Dominica became a British colony in 1805. Slavery ended in 1833, and in 1835, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly of Dominica. In 1871, Dominica became first part of the British Leeward Islands and then the British Windward Islands until 1958. In 1967, Dominica became an associated state of the UK, formally taking responsibility for its internal affairs, and the country gained its independence in 1978. In 1980, Dominica's fortunes improved when Mary Eugenia CHARLES -- the first female prime minister in the Caribbean -- replaced a corrupt and tyrannical administration, and she served for the next 15 years. In 2017, Hurricane Maria passed over the island, causing extensive damage to structures, roads, communications, and the power supply, and largely destroying critical agricultural areas.
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
- Geographic coordinates
- 15 25 N, 61 20 W
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area
- total: 751 sq km
land: 751 sq km
water: NEGL - Area - comparative
- slightly more than four times the size of Washington, D.C.
- Land boundaries
- total: 0 km
- Coastline
- 148 km
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm - Climate
- tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
- Terrain
- rugged mountains of volcanic origin
- Elevation
- highest point: Morne Diablotins 1,447 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m - Natural resources
- timber, hydropower, arable land
- Land use
- agricultural land: 33.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)
forest: 76.6% (2023 est.)
other: 0% (2023 est.) - Irrigated land
- NA
- Population distribution
- population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
- Natural hazards
- flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months volcanism: Dominica lies in the middle of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from the island of Saba in the north to Grenada in the south; of the 16 volcanoes that make up this arc, five are located on Dominica, more than any other island in the Caribbean: Morne aux Diables (861 m), Morne Diablotins (1,430 m), Morne Trois Pitons (1,387 m), Watt Mountain (1,224 m), which last erupted in 1997, and Morne Plat Pays (940 m); the two best-known volcanic features on Dominica, the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake thermal areas, lie on the flanks of Watt Mountain, and both are popular tourist destinations
- Geography - note
- known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its lush and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest thermally active lake in the world
- Population
- total: 74,661 (2024 est.)
male: 37,753
female: 36,908 - Nationality
- noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican - Ethnic groups
- African descent 84.5%, mixed 9%, Indigenous 3.8%, other 2.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), French patois
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.)
- Age structure
- 0-14 years: 20.7% (male 7,891/female 7,530)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 25,000/female 24,009)
65 years and over: 13.7% (2024 est.) (male 4,862/female 5,369) - Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 52.3 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 31.5 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 20.9 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.8 (2024 est.) - Median age
- total: 37.5 years (2025 est.)
male: 36.5 years
female: 37.6 years - Population growth rate
- -0.04% (2025 est.)
- Birth rate
- 13.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.15 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -5.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population is mostly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
- Urbanization
- urban population: 72% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Major urban areas - population
- 15,000 ROSEAU (capital) (2018)
- Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.) - Maternal mortality ratio
- 36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- total: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births - Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 78.7 years (2024 est.)
male: 75.8 years
female: 81.8 years - Total fertility rate
- 2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.98 (2025 est.)
- Health expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 6.5% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 6.2% of national budget (2022 est.) - Physician density
- 1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
- Hospital bed density
- 3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 27.9% (2016)
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 6.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 4.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) - Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 5.8% national budget (2025 est.) - People - note
- 3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean; only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population
- Environmental issues
- pollution from agrochemicals and from untreated sewage; forests endangered by the expansion of farming; soil erosion; pollution of the coastal zone from agricultural/industrial chemicals and untreated sewage
- International environmental agreements
- party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements - Climate
- tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
- Land use
- agricultural land: 33.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 2.7% (2023 est.)
forest: 76.6% (2023 est.)
other: 0% (2023 est.) - Urbanization
- urban population: 72% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Carbon dioxide emissions
- total emissions: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 168,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) - Particulate matter emissions
- 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 13,200 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.6% (2022 est.) - Total water withdrawal
- municipal: 19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 0 cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2022 est.) - Total renewable water resources
- 200 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Country name
- conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
etymology: the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday (Domingo in Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493 - Government type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name is French for "reed;" the first settlement was named after the river reeds that grew in the area - Administrative divisions
- 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
- Legal system
- common law based on the English model
- Constitution
- history: previous 1967 (pre-independence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978
amendment process: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as fundamental rights and freedoms, the government structure, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by three fourths of the Assembly membership in the final reading of the amendment bill, approval by simple majority in a referendum, and assent of the president - International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Sylvanie BURTON (since 2 October 2023)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
election/appointment process: president nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition party and elected by the House of Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
most recent election date: 27 September 2023
election results: 2023: parliament elects Sylvanie BURTON (DLP) with 20 votes for and five against2018: Charles A. SAVARIN (DLP) reelected president unopposed
expected date of next election: October 2028 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: House of Assembly
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 32 (21 directly elected; 9 appointed)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 12/6/2022
parties elected and seats per party: Dominica Labor Party (DLP) (19); Independents (2)
percentage of women in chamber: 40.6%
expected date of next election: December 2027 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts - Political parties
- Dominica Freedom Party or DFPDominica Labor Party or DLPDominica United Workers Party or UWP
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Steve FERROL (since 15 September 2023)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Ave NW Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
email address and website: embdomdc@gmail.com
consulate(s) general: New York - Diplomatic representation from the US
- embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica
- International organization participation
- ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Independence
- 3 November 1978 (from the UK)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 3 November (1978)
- Flag
- description: green with a centered cross of three equal bands in yellow, black, and white; in the center of the cross is a red disk with a Sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 five-pointed green stars edged in yellowmeaning: the stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the tricolor cross represents the Christian Trinity; yellow stands for sunshine, the primary agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the Carib people; black for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white for rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc for social justice
- National symbol(s)
- sisserou parrot, Carib wood flower
- National color(s)
- green, yellow, black, white, red
- National coat of arms
- the coat of arms was adopted on July 21, 1961, and features two sisserou parrots supporting a shield that is divided into four sections by a cross, a reference to the island’s discovery on a Sunday; the quadrants feature a palm tree, a banana tree, a frog that is native to the island, and a canoe on the Caribbean Sea; the golden lion symbolizes Dominica’s past colonial ties with the UK; below the shield is the national motto, which means "After God is the Earth"
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Isle of Beauty"
lyrics/music: Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN
history: adopted 1967
- Economic overview
- highly agrarian OECS island economy; ECCU-member state; large banana exporter; improved oversight of its citizenship-by-investment program; emerging ecotourism, information and communications, and education industries
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.241 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.216 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.173 billion (2022 est.) - Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 10.4% (2022 est.) - Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2024: $18,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $18,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $17,600 (2022 est.) - GDP (official exchange rate)
- $688.881 million (2024 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.6% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5.1% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.9% (2022 est.) - GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 12.2% (2024 est.)
industry: 13.9% (2024 est.)
services: 56.9% (2024 est.) - GDP - composition, by end use
- household consumption: 87.7% (2018 est.)
government consumption: 27.4% (2018 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 32.7% (2018 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2018 est.)
exports of goods and services: 29.2% (2018 est.)
imports of goods and services: -77.8% (2018 est.) - Agricultural products
- taro, grapefruits, yams, bananas, coconuts, plantains, milk, yautia, sugarcane, oranges (2023)
- Industries
- soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
- Industrial production growth rate
- 8.8% (2024 est.)
- Remittances
- Remittances 2024: 5.6% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 6.1% of GDP (2022 est.) - Budget
- revenues: $233.831 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $164.673 million (2017 est.) - Public debt
- Public debt 2016: 71.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Current account balance
- Current account balance 2024: -$160.12 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$223.632 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$163.746 million (2022 est.) - Exports
- Exports 2024: $212.753 million (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $188.818 million (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $173.93 million (2022 est.) - Exports - partners
- Bahamas, The 13%, Saudi Arabia 11%, Iceland 10%, Guyana 7%, Antigua & Barbuda 7% (2023)
- Exports - commodities
- iron blocks, medical instruments, excavation machinery, power equipment, soap (2023)
- Imports
- Imports 2024: $387.532 million (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $417.164 million (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $354.27 million (2022 est.) - Imports - partners
- USA 24%, China 11%, Indonesia 8%, Trinidad & Tobago 7%, Italy 7% (2023)
- Imports - commodities
- refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, semi-finished iron, cars (2023)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $155.971 million (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $183.53 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $204.343 million (2022 est.) - Debt - external
- Debt - external 2023: $301.191 million (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates
- Currency: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 2.7 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 2.7 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 2.7 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 2.7 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 2.7 (2020 est.)
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 41,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 145.827 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 8 million kWh (2023 est.) - Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 84.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 15% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) - Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption: 1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 36.395 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2021 est.) - Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 56,929 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 85 (2022 est.) - Broadcast media
- no terrestrial TV service; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming, plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2019)
- Internet country code
- .dm
- Internet users
- percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 14,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- J7
- Airports
- 2 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total: 77 (2023)
by type: general cargo 26, oil tanker 10, other 41 - Ports
- total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 0
very small: 2
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Portsmouth, Roseau
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) under the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs
- Military - note
- Dominica has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees: 5 (2024 est.)