Increase the number of households headed by women in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo. – The participation of women as heads of households in the Dominican Republic has registered sustained growth in the last two decades, approaching for the first time half of the country’s households, according to data from the National Survey of Households for Multiple Purposes (Enhogar) 2005-2024, prepared by the National Statistics Office. The report indicates that in 2005 only 32.4% of Dominican households were headed by women, while by 2024 the figure rose to 44.97%, reflecting significant changes in family structure and traditional roles within the household. In contrast, twenty years ago men headed 67.6% of households, a difference of 35.2 percentage points compared to women. However, that gap has progressively narrowed to just over 10 percentage points in 2024, when 55.03% of homes were still under male leadership. The study attributes this growth in female leadership to various factors, including greater participation of women in the labor market, the strengthening of their economic autonomy, and the increase in single-parent households. Changes in couple relationships, such as separations and free unions, also have an influence.

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The ONE points out that this transformation is part of a broader process of social change, where the traditional model of the man as the main provider has given way to more diverse and balanced family structures. The bulletin also highlights that most households in the country are headed by people between 30 and 55 years old, a group that represents 51.45% of household heads, associated with stages of greater job stability and family responsibilities. Meanwhile, households headed by young people between 20 and 29 years old represent 13.08%, and those headed by people under 20 years old barely reach 0.54%, a situation linked to the prolongation of studies and greater social protection mechanisms. On the other hand, 34.93% of Dominican households are headed by people aged 56 or older, also showing the weight of older adults within the country’s family structure.