The fertility rate in the border area of the Dominican Republic has shown a sustained reduction, although the levels of teenage pregnancy They continue above the national average, according to the Border Monitor, September 2025, published by the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
The report details that “in the border area, for the year 2022, the fertility rate stood at 1.9 live births for each woman of childbearing age, which reflects a decrease compared to the IX National Census 2010 (2.2 %)”. However, the document warns that these indicators “continue to be above what is observed in the rest of the country.”
The analysis, based on data from the X National Population and Housing Censusreveals that approximately 187,490 women reside in the border strip, which represents 5% of the national female population, and that Montecristi, Bahoruco and Dajabón concentrate more than half of that population.
Persistence of teenage pregnancy
Despite the progress, the document indicates that “in the border area3,509 adolescents have at least one live-born child, which represents approximately one in every six women between the ages of 15 and 19.” Although this figure reflects a decrease compared to the 24.7% recorded in 2010, it still “exceeds the 10.8% observed in the rest of the country.”
Four of the five provinces with the highest proportion of adolescents with children are in the border: Elías Piña (18.7%), Pedernales (17.9%), Montecristi (17.4%) and Bahoruco (16.7%).
The publication highlights that “the relationship between the income and the teenage pregnancy shows the need for policies to avoid the reproduction of poverty in the border area.”
Postponing motherhood and structural challenges
The Monitor highlights a structural change in the reproductive dynamics of border women: “The change The most relevant is observed in the postponement of motherhood towards older ages, to the detriment of young or early motherhood.” This phenomenon, the report adds, “can be associated with improvements in schooling or job opportunities.”
However, the region faces important challenges in terms of sexual and reproductive health. According to the document, “approximately half of women of reproductive age do not use methods modern contraceptiveswhich translates into a high proportion of unintentional pregnancies.”
The report warns that 27.4% of border mothers They are neither married nor in a union, which reflects “a low prevalence in the use of highly cost-effective family planning methods.”
Public policies and ongoing programs
To face this situation, the government promotes various inter-institutional programs. Among them, the Adolescent Pregnancy Reduction Program, with a budget of 182.6 million pesos, and a target population of 11,320 children and adolescents and 6,500 parents, as well as the National Policy for Prevention and Attention to Early Unions and Pregnancy in Adolescents, led by the Cabinet for Children and Adolescence (GANA).
- The document emphasizes that ensuring universal access to education and sexual health comprehensive is essential to reverse trends.
“Adolescents who see clear economic and educational opportunities tend to participate in productive activities and avoid risky behaviors,” he points out. the monitor.
Finally, the report emphasizes that “reducing these problems is key to closing inequality gaps and improving the well-being of women and their families on the border, with emphasis on provinces such as Elías Piña and the southern border, where the situation is more critical.”
