The Centro Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Demografía (CELADE), a dependency of the Comisión Economica para America Latina said that the life expectancy for Dominicans, from 1995-2000, is 71 years. Life expectancy for women is 72.4 years, and 67.8 years for men. Dominican authorities at the National Planning Office (ONAPLAN), estimate life expectancy is at 68.6 years. According to CELADE statistics, the DR is 9th in the Latin American standing behind Costa Rica (76.5), Cuba (76), Chile (75.2), Uruguay (74.1), Panama (74), Argentina (73.1), Venezuela (72.8), and Mexico (72.4). Haiti, the Dominican Republic’s neighbor, is listed with a life expectancy of 57.2 years. CELADE forecasts that for the period 2000-2005, life expectancy of Dominicans will increase to 72.3 years.
