About half of Dominicans live in rural areas; many are small landholders. Spanish is the dominant language among the majority population. Haitians form the largest minority group, some 500 000 (or 6% of the population) according to Human Rights Watch.[1] Many Haitians in the Dominican Republic are illegal immigrants; others are Dominican-born citizens, and some are legal immigrants. All religions are tolerated; the state religion is Roman Catholicism.
Population:
8,442,533 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
34% (male 1,486,902; female 1,422,977)
15-64 years:
61% (male 2,609,934; female 2,518,330)
65 years and over:
5% (male 192,254; female 212,136) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.64% (2000 est.)
Birth rate:
25.15 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate:
4.72 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate:
-4.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.91 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.2 years
male:
71.12 years
female:
75.38 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Dominican(s)
adjective:
Dominican
Ethnic groups:
white 16%, black 11%, mulatto 73%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
Spanish, Haitian Creole (among Haitian migrants)
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
82.1%
male:
82%
female:
82.2% (1995 est.)
- See also : Dominican Republic