🇩🇴 Dominican Republic (República Dominicana)
Visiting: High Risk
The Dominican Republic is not a place to visit without care. Nothing ranks highly here: freedom is only partly protected, ranking 68th, and LGBT rights are limited, at 90th. Its weakest measure is the roads, which are among the deadliest anywhere, placed 169th. Women's safety is fair, there is significant exposure to conflict and violent crime is common, all ranking between 116th and 136th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Dominican Republic: 8.3
Ranked 45th in the world for the highest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Eight killings per 100,000 people a year is well above the world average, where the risky tier begins.
Is it safe to visit?
Take it seriously. The rate is half as high again as the world average, and three in four killings are by strangers.
Why we updated the score?
The interior ministry has published its 2025 rate, down 9%. The UN takes its figure from the ministry a year later, so we used the new rate.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Dominican Republic: 27.4
Ranked 12th in the world for the deadliest roads.
Why this rank?
Twenty-seven deaths per 100,000 people a year is nearly double the world average of fifteen.
Is it safe to visit?
Not safe, and it's the motorbikes. Seven in ten deaths are riders, so a rented scooter is the danger.
Conflict
Conflict deaths inside the country in the last twelve months, as recorded by the Uppsala conflict database, civilians killed on purpose, and any UN sanctions or court order over a war. The worst of those sets the colour. Lower is better.
Dominican Republic: 2.37
Ranked 59th most conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
One person died in fighting inside the Dominican Republic in the year to July 2026, a civilian killed on purpose.
Is it safe to visit?
One person died in the year to July 2026, a civilian killed by the security forces in Santo Domingo. Nothing else is recorded.
Freedom
Six freedoms rated 0–4 by Freedom House — protest, speech, press, religion, movement and due process. The weakest rating sets the colour, and the total places the country inside it — higher is better.
Dominican Republic: 6.71
Ranked 68th freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In the Dominican Republic the lowest are press, movement and due process at 2. Total 17 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
Free and competitive elections, but pervasive corruption, excessive force by police and intimidation of journalists. Press, movement and due process carry significant limits. Daily life is open.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Dominican Republic: 3.7
Ranked 90th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Legal since 1822, among the earliest anywhere, but with no protections or recognition ever added. The law index sits at 42 and public opinion at 33.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable, with discretion. Two centuries of legality have not produced acceptance. Church influence is strong and discrimination routine.
Women's Safety
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is, with the night figure setting a floor on the colour — higher is better.
Dominican Republic: 6.73
Ranked 65th least safe country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
Almost nobody thinks wife-beating can be justified, and partner violence is ten percent. Only four in ten women feel safe out alone at night, and the courts rate poorly for women.
Is it safe to visit?
A woman travelling alone should take care in the Dominican Republic.