Youth in the Dominican Republic

rdf:langString Youth in the Dominican Republic

rdf:langString Youth in the Dominican Republic constitutes just over 30% of the total population. The Dominican Republic's population at roughly eleven million people has grown tremendously with the help of the youth population. In 1960, the youth population was at 3.3 million, and by 2008, it had reached 9.5 million, with two thirds of them in urban areas of the country. The Dominican Republic is considered a middle-income country, and thrives economically through tourism and telecommunications. Tourism is the single best revenue earner and over 25,000 youth are employed in this sector. Although tourism generates large revenues, some scholars and activists argue that the development of tourism has negative impacts on youth by keeping them from pursuing higher education. Primary and secondary education are free to all citizens of the Dominican Republic. Higher education is free in the public sector, most notably at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, which enrolls 44% of the total tertiary student population. The Dominican Republic is the only country that has a youth-only secretariat. In 2000, the country approved its General Youth Law, which allocates a budget of 1% of the national budget for the youth secretariat. The General Youth Law helps with youth development programs that promote education and development. The country also has multiple governmental laws that protect minors younger than eighteen years old from being arrested, legally processed, and going to jail.