The Dominican Republic has been named the most visited destination in the Caribbean and it’s not difficult to see why. There’s a seemingly endless spread of white-sandy beaches and palm trees that attract thousands of tourists each year to a similarly limitless range of holiday resorts. While these resort towns cater to the wants of tourists, there are many communities in the Dominican Republic that are virtually unseen.
The Local Economy
The Dominican Republic is one of the fastest growing economies in the Latin American and Caribbean region. While the past decade has led to substantially reduced poverty rate as a result of tourism, there exist immense disparities in economic opportunities and public services based on socioeconomic status and gender.
Poverty rates are consistently high in rural areas and also disproportionately impact women with regard to opportunities.
In the past three decades, the Dominican Republic’s economy has relied heavily on the exports of agricultural goods including coffee, cocoa and sugar. However, an economic boom happened as a result of an increase in tourism in recent years.
The average monthly income in the Dominican Republic is
$350
PER MONTH
20%
of the population is below the national poverty line and survives on much less than that.
In marginalized communities, the majority of the population survives on
$1.25
PER DAY
This is considered extreme poverty in the Dominican Republic.
