The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) highlighted that the Dominican Republic has maintained an average economic growth of 5.0% in the last decade, more than double the regional average, and has managed to reduce poverty to 18.2% and extreme poverty to 4.9%.
The United Nations agency also said that the Caribbean country has reached the lowest inequality index (Gini) in Latin America in 2023 (0.39), according to a statement from the Dominican Presidency.
These considerations are contained in the document “Strengthening Protection to Eradicate Poverty and Advance Towards Inclusive Social Development in the Dominican Republic,” prepared by ECLAC and delivered today to President Luis Abinader.
After delivering the report to Abinader, the director of ECLAC’s Social Development Division, Alberto Arenas de Mesa, proposed three strategic lines of public policy to consolidate these advances.
The first is to expand and strengthen the social protection system towards a universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient model; promoting active employment and labor inclusion policies, with special attention to young people, women and informal workers, and strengthening social institutions, moving towards a Framework Law on Social Protection and better intersectoral coordination.
Abinader thanked ECLAC for its technical support and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening social protection as a pillar of human development, economic inclusion and social mobility in the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, the head of the Directorate of Social Development Supérate, Gloria Reyes, considered that the report constitutes a key tool for public policy decision-making, as it reflects the evolution of the Dominican system and the opportunities for social investment to reduce inequality and poverty gaps.
Dominican economic authorities estimate that the country’s growth will be 3.5%, compared to 5.0% in 2024.
Abinader has reiterated that the Dominican Republic is the first economy in the Caribbean and the seventh in Latin America.
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