Dominican Republic

At first glance, poverty does not seem to be a problem in the Dominican Republic. The country experienced sustained economic growth in the 1990s, which resulted in a gross domestic product (GDP) increase averaging 4 percent (1.8 percent was the average for the other Latin and Central American countries). However, the Human Development Indicator (HDI) showed that poverty remains a problem, with the Dominican Republic ranking 24th among the 33 Latin American nations in 2011. Furthermore, the economic growth of the country has not translated into equal improvements in people’s living standards. Many workers are living in vulnerable situations, characterized by stagnant wages and a lack of both skills and education. Thirty percent of the people are living in poverty, and expenditures for social development ...