Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 2. Macro and country context › Population, regions and the labor market: where people live and work

Population, regions and the labor market: where people live and work

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Changing

The 2022 census counted 10,771,504 people, growing 1.11 percent a year since 2010, with 35 percent in Greater Santo Domingo and half in that region plus Cibao Norte around Santiago. In the second quarter of 2026 there were 5,271,005 people employed, participation was 66.8 percent and open unemployment 5.3 percent. Informal jobs were 53.8 percent of employment. Average pay was RD$175.0 an hour, up 7.2 percent, and monetary poverty fell to 13.75 percent.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date. Conversions are for orientation only. Official US dollar figures published by the Banco Central or the budget are shown as published.

Key facts

Census population 2022	10771504 peopleX Censo Nacional de Población y Vivienda 2022, as of 2022-11-23 · in force
Annual growth 2010 to 2022	1.11 %Informe básico XCNPV, Cuadro 13, as of 2022-11-23 · in force
Distrito Nacional population	1029110 peopleInforme básico XCNPV, as of 2022-11-23 · in force
Ozama region share of population	35.3 %Informe básico XCNPV, own calculation, as of 2022-11-23 · in force
Regions in the census	10 regionsInforme básico XCNPV, Cuadro 1, as of 2022-11-23 · in force
Population in the labor survey, Q2 2026	10944427 peopleENCFT Indicadores, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
People employed	5271005 peopleENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Open unemployment (SU1)	5.3 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Labor force participation	66.8 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Employment rate	63.2 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Informal employment	53.8 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Unemployment plus underemployment (SU2)	7.2 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Unemployment plus potential labor force (SU3)	8.7 %ENCFT, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Average income from work	175.0 DOP per hourENCFT Boletín, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Average hourly income, 12 month change	7.2 %ENCFT Boletín, as of 2026-06-30 · in force
Monetary poverty	13.75 %Governor report citing the technical committee, as of 2026-06-30 · in force

The rule

1. The Oficina Nacional de Estadística held the X census from 10 to 23 November 2022. Its basic report counts 10,771,504 people: 5,328,987 men and 5,442,517 women. The average annual growth rate between 2010 and 2022 was 1.11 percent.Oficina Nacional de Estadística, Informe básico XCNPV 2022, Cuadro 1 and Cuadro 13, 2023 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Population is concentrated. The Ozama region, which is the Distrito Nacional and Santo Domingo province, has 3,798,698 people, or 35.3 percent. Cibao Norte, which includes Santiago, has 1,654,092, or 15.4 percent. Santo Domingo province alone has 2,769,588, Santiago 1,074,679, the Distrito Nacional 1,029,110, San Cristóbal 688,828, La Altagracia 446,060 and La Vega 442,719.Oficina Nacional de Estadística, Informe básico XCNPV 2022, Cuadro 1 and Cuadro 2, 2023 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. The Constitution makes the region the basic unit for public policy and asks the State to seek a reasonable balance of public investment across territories. The census reports ten regions.Constitución de la República 2024, art. 196, 2024-10-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. The Banco Central's working population estimates are higher than the census count: 10,878,267 for the 2025 national accounts and 10,944,427 for the labor survey in the second quarter of 2026.Banco Central, PIB en dólares referencia 2018; ENCFT Indicadores, PIB per Cápita; Indicadores, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. The labor survey (ENCFT) covers people aged 15 and over. In the second quarter of 2026 the working age population was 8,334,694 and the labor force 5,566,766. Participation was 66.8 percent and the employment rate 63.2 percent, both near record highs according to the bank.Banco Central, ENCFT, Boletín trimestral abril a junio 2026, Resumen ejecutivo, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Employment was 5,271,005, up 2.9 percent or 147,456 people over 12 months. Women were 43.0 percent of those employed and took 127,742 of the net new jobs, or 86.6 percent.Banco Central, ENCFT, Boletín trimestral abril a junio 2026, Resumen ejecutivo, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Employment rose by 147,456 between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.

7. Open unemployment (SU1) was 5.3 percent, or 295,762 people, up 0.3 points on a year earlier and below the series average of 6.0 percent. The wider measures were 7.2 percent with underemployment (SU2), 8.7 percent with potential labor force (SU3) and 10.5 percent with all forms (SU4).Banco Central, ENCFT Indicadores, Indicadores, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Informal employment was 53.8 percent of all jobs in the second quarter of 2026, or 2,837,846 people, below the series average of 56.7 percent. Formal jobs, meaning people with social security through work, were 46.2 percent. Separately, 51.9 percent of workers are in the formal sector, meaning units with a tax registration or auditable accounts.Banco Central, ENCFT Indicadores and Boletín trimestral, Indicadores; Resumen ejecutivo, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Average income from work was RD$175.0 an hour in the second quarter of 2026, up 7.2 percent in nominal terms from RD$163.1. In the formal sector it was RD$202.85. The average work week was 41.0 hours.
Example: RD$175.0 times 41.0 hours times 4.33 weeks is about RD$31,068 a month. / About US$510 a month.Banco Central, ENCFT, Boletín trimestral abril a junio 2026, A.2.3 Ingresos, 2026-06-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. Monetary poverty fell to 13.75 percent in the second quarter of 2026, 2.9 points below a year earlier, according to the inter agency technical committee as cited by the Governor.Banco Central, governor's report on the 79th anniversary, Nota de prensa, 2026-10-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. The government's goals include raising formal employment to 50 percent in 2028 and the middle class to 50 percent of the population in 2028. These are policy goals in the budget documents.Presupuesto Ciudadano 2027, proyecto de ley, section 3, 2026-10 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Region	Population	Share (%)
Ozama	3,798,698	35.3
Cibao Norte	1,654,092	15.4
Valdesia	967,282	9.0
Yuma	833,143	7.7
Cibao Sur	800,908	7.4
Cibao Nordeste	673,414	6.3
Higuamo	642,777	6.0
El Valle	549,490	5.1
Cibao Noroeste	447,033	4.2
Enriquillo	404,667	3.8
Total	10,771,504	100.0

Census population by region, 2022. Source: ONE, Informe básico XCNPV, Cuadro 1. Shares are own calculation.

Branch	People	Share (%)
Commerce	1,052,002	20.0
Other services	1,054,885	20.0
Industry, including mining	518,014	9.8
Hotels, bars and restaurants	474,984	9.0
Construction	446,438	8.5
Transport and communications	373,780	7.1
Education	355,556	6.7
Agriculture and livestock	330,654	6.3
Public administration	303,550	5.8
Health and social assistance	214,415	4.1
Financial intermediation	110,875	2.1
Electricity and water	35,851	0.7
Total	5,271,005	100.0

Employment by branch, second quarter 2026. Source: Banco Central, ENCFT. Shares are own calculation.

Indicator	Q2 2025	Q3 2025	Q4 2025	Q1 2026	Q2 2026
Participation	66.08	66.62	66.14	66.28	66.79
Employment rate	62.81	63.09	62.81	63.00	63.24
Open unemployment	4.95	5.29	5.02	4.95	5.31
Informality	53.97	54.64	54.19	54.10	53.84

Labor indicators, percent. Source: Banco Central, ENCFT Indicadores.

Worked example

Hiring cost context. At RD$202.85 an hour and 41.0 hours a week, an average formal sector worker earns about RD$36,012 a month (about US$591), before employer social security contributions. Compare with the minimum wage and contribution pages.
Market size. 3.8 million people live in Ozama and 1.65 million in Cibao Norte, so a distribution plan covering those two regions reaches about half of the population.

Step by step

1. Use the census for population by place and the ENCFT for jobs and pay; do not mix their totals.
2. Read the wage, contribution and severance pages for legal cost, since the ENCFT income data are averages from a household survey.
3. For site selection, compare province population with free zone and tourism locations on the sector pages.
4. Check the next ENCFT bulletin each quarter on the Banco Central site.

Common traps

Three population numbers. The census basic report says 10,771,504, the census general report 10,773,983 as indexed from ONE's text, and the Banco Central uses higher working estimates. Cite the source you use.
Formal sector is not formal job. 51.9 percent of workers are in formal sector units, but only 46.2 percent have formal jobs with social security.
Reading open unemployment as all slack. SU3 is 8.7 percent and SU4 10.5 percent.
Using the income figure as a wage quote. It covers all income from work, including the self employed, and it is nominal.

Sources

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