Dominican Republic’s population is aging rapidly, ONE Director says
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is undergoing a significant demographic transition as its population ages faster and birth rates continue to decline, according to National Statistics Office (ONE). ONE Director Mildred Martínez said the country’s population is projected to level off at around 12 million residents.
Speaking on the digital program La Esquina, Martínez explained that the percentage of Dominicans aged 60 and older increased from 9% in the 2010 census to 13% in 2022, a sharp rise that reflects the country’s accelerating aging trend. She said one of the main causes is that Dominican families are having fewer children.
Martínez also noted that women in the Dominican Republic live an average of six years longer than men. Life expectancy stands at 79 years for women and 73 years for men, compared with a national average of 76 years. She attributed the gap to higher rates of violent deaths among men and lower use of preventive healthcare services.
It’s a worldwide trend, it’s not only happening in developed countries anymore. The DR needs to focus on growing and strengthening the economy in the coming years before the population enters the red zone like in Japan and South Korea.