Haiti

World Book Index

Introduction

Background
In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti continues to experience bouts of political instability.

Geography

Area
total : 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km

Climate
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Natural resources
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land

People and Society

Population
total: 11,753,943 (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups
Black 95%, mixed and White 5%

Languages
French (official), Creole (official)

Religions
Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est.)

Population growth rate
1.23% (2024 est.)

Government

Government type
semi-presidential republic

Capital
name: Port-au-Prince

Executive branch
chief of state: President (vacant)
head of government: Prime Minister Alix Didier FILS-AIMÉ (since 10 November 2024)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel DELATOUR (since 11 June 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Henry T. WOOSTER (since 12 June 2025)

Economy

Economic overview
small Caribbean island economy and OECS-member state; extreme poverty and inflation; enormous income inequality; ongoing civil unrest due to recent presidential assassination; US preferential market access; very open to foreign direct investment

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$32.971 billion (2024 est.)
$34.406 billion (2023 est.)
$35.059 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$2,800 (2024 est.)
$3,000 (2023 est.)
$3,000 (2022 est.)

Exports
$1.095 billion (2023 est.)
$1.355 billion (2022 est.)
$1.272 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners
USA 82%, Canada 4%, Mexico 2%, France 2%, India 2% (2023)

Exports - commodities
garments, essential oils, scrap iron, industrial acids/oils/alcohols, bedding (2023)

Imports
$5.303 billion (2023 est.)
$5.451 billion (2022 est.)
$5.048 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners
USA 31%, Dominican Republic 23%, China 14%, Indonesia 4%, India 3% (2023)

Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, rice, garments, cotton fabric, plastic products (2023)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.554, ranking it 166th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 144th out of 158 countries tested with a score of 3.721. (more information)