Human Development over Time (2022)

This report analyzes the evolution of human development across the Dominican Republic’s planning regions between 2010 and 2022, examining progress in health, education, income, inequality, and gender equality. Based on the Regional Human Development Index (HDI), the country achieved a 21.7% increase in human development over the period, reflecting significant advances in access to basic services and overall well-being. However, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reversed progress in 2020 and 2021, affecting all three HDI dimensions.

The findings reveal persistent territorial disparities. While the Ozama region (National District and Santo Domingo) remains the only region classified as having high human development, several regions—particularly border territories—continue to face significant challenges in education, health, and income opportunities.

When inequality is taken into account, the country loses approximately 21% of its human development potential, with education showing the largest disparities. Gender inequality also remains a major obstacle: the Gender Inequality Index indicates that the Dominican Republic loses 41.8% of its potential human development due to persistent gaps in political representation, labor market participation, income, and reproductive health outcomes.

The report highlights important achievements, including expanded health insurance coverage, improvements in educational attainment, and economic recovery following the pandemic. At the same time, it calls for targeted policies to reduce territorial and gender inequalities, strengthen resilience to climate and economic shocks, improve access to quality services, and promote more inclusive and equitable development across all regions of the country.