Dominica Diplomatic Profile
The government funds its goal of total climate resilience by selling citizenship, a controversial strategy that currently risks alienating European partners.
Often confused with its larger, Spanish-speaking neighbor, this rugged island sits on the razor's edge of the climate crisis. After Hurricane Maria wiped out nearly three times the country's GDP in 2017, the government pivoted its entire foreign policy toward survival, boldly promising to become the world's first "climate-resilient nation." Financing this existential overhaul, however, requires a controversial revenue stream: selling passports. The lucrative Citizenship by Investment program funds hospitals and housing but draws intense scrutiny from the European Union and the United Kingdom, both of whom fear these "golden passports" offer a backdoor to illicit actors. Caught in a squeeze, Dominica recently promised tighter background checks to avoid losing vital visa-free travel privileges. Diplomatic decisions reflect a similar pragmatism. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit steers a steady course with China—having dumped Taiwan in 2004—accepting massive infrastructure gifts while remaining a beneficiary of Venezuelan initiatives like PetroCaribe. Yet, the island cannot afford to alienate Washington or Brussels. It is a high-stakes balancing act where ecological vulnerability necessitates aggressive, sometimes risky, economic maneuvering just to keep the sea walls up.
Key Interests
- Funding climate resilience infrastructure projects
- Protecting Citizenship by Investment revenue
- Deepening infrastructure cooperation with China
Dominica Allies and Enemies
Dominica's closest allies: China (41), United Kingdom (35), Grenada (32), Canada (32), Barbados (31).
Dominica's top rivals: North Korea (-31), Belarus (-23), Afghanistan (-19), Russia (-19), Syria (-16).
Of 202 countries, Dominica has 7 allies, 194 neutral relationships, and 1 enemy.
Dominica Relations by Dimension
Dominica's closest military partners are Grenada (25), United States (17), Canada (16). Most adversarial military relationships: Belarus (-29), North Korea (-23), Afghanistan (-23).
Dominica's closest diplomatic partners are China (55), United Kingdom (38), Canada (34). Most adversarial diplomatic relationships: North Korea (-47), Belarus (-34), Syria (-26).
Dominica's closest regime relations partners are Barbados (65), China (60), Trinidad and Tobago (55). Most adversarial regime relations relationships: Syria (-28), Russia (-24), North Korea (-23).
Dominica's closest societal relations partners are Saint Lucia (53), Barbados (52), Grenada (48). Most adversarial societal relations relationships: North Korea (-25), Afghanistan (-18), Russia (-8).
Dominica's closest economic interdependence partners are United States (48), France (35), Trinidad and Tobago (32).
Dominica's closest economic policy partners are Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (34), China (30), Trinidad and Tobago (27). Most adversarial economic policy relationships: North Korea (-48), Russia (-28), Iran (-25).
Dominica’s Allies & Enemies
Closest Allies
Top Enemies
Dominica's closest allies are China, United Kingdom, Grenada, Canada, and Barbados. Dominica's most adversarial relationships are with North Korea, Belarus, Afghanistan, Russia, and Syria.
Global Relations
Diplomatic Profile
The government funds its goal of total climate resilience by selling citizenship, a controversial strategy that currently risks alienating European partners.
Key Interests
Often confused with its larger, Spanish-speaking neighbor, this rugged island sits on the razor's edge of the climate crisis. After Hurricane Maria wiped out nearly three times the country's GDP in 2017, the government pivoted its entire foreign policy toward survival, boldly promising to become the world's first "climate-resilient nation." Financing this existential overhaul, however, requires a controversial revenue stream: selling passports. The lucrative Citizenship by Investment program funds hospitals and housing but draws intense scrutiny from the European Union and the United Kingdom, both of whom fear these "golden passports" offer a backdoor to illicit actors. Caught in a squeeze, Dominica recently promised tighter background checks to avoid losing vital visa-free travel privileges. Diplomatic decisions reflect a similar pragmatism. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit steers a steady course with China—having dumped Taiwan in 2004—accepting massive infrastructure gifts while remaining a beneficiary of Venezuelan initiatives like PetroCaribe. Yet, the island cannot afford to alienate Washington or Brussels. It is a high-stakes balancing act where ecological vulnerability necessitates aggressive, sometimes risky, economic maneuvering just to keep the sea walls up.
The government funds its goal of total climate resilience by selling citizenship, a controversial strategy that currently risks alienating European partners.
Of 202 countries, Dominica has 7 allies, 194 neutral relationships, and 1 enemy.
By Dimension
Military
Dominica’s closest military partners are Grenada, United States, and Canada. Most adversarial: Belarus, North Korea, and Afghanistan.
Diplomatic
Dominica’s closest diplomatic partners are China, United Kingdom, and Canada. Most adversarial: North Korea, Belarus, and Syria.
Regime Relations
Dominica’s closest regime relations partners are Barbados, China, and Trinidad and Tobago. Most adversarial: Syria, Russia, and North Korea.
Societal Relations
Dominica’s closest societal relations partners are Saint Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada. Most adversarial: North Korea, Afghanistan, and Russia.
Economic Interdependence
Dominica’s closest economic interdependence partners are United States, France, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Economic Policy
Dominica’s closest economic policy partners are Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, China, and Trinidad and Tobago. Most adversarial: North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
Key Questions
Dominica's top allies are China, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados. The Caribbean island states dominate the societal and regime relations dimensions, reflecting deep CARICOM integration. China's presence at the top is driven by strong diplomatic and regime relations ties — Dominica is one of the Caribbean states that recognizes Beijing over Taipei.
Dominica switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2004, and Beijing has since invested heavily in infrastructure and development aid. The relationship scores strongly positive on diplomatic and regime relations dimensions, though the military dimension is neutral — China has no security footprint in the Eastern Caribbean. Switch to the diplomatic dimension on the map to see China light up as Dominica's top partner.
Dominica has no meaningfully negative relationships — its map is almost entirely neutral. The most distant ties are with North Korea, Belarus, Russia, Afghanistan, and Syria, but even these are near zero rather than actively hostile. This reflects Dominica's status as a small island state with limited geopolitical exposure and no significant adversarial entanglements.
Dominica's strongest societal ties are with fellow Eastern Caribbean states — Saint Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada rank highest. These relationships are built on shared OECS and CARICOM membership, free movement agreements, and deep cultural connections. The regime relations dimension also highlights Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, reflecting aligned governance models and regional cooperation frameworks.
Dominica's map is among the most neutral in the dataset — nearly every relationship registers close to zero, with only a handful of mildly positive ties and no negative ones. This is typical of small Caribbean states whose foreign policy footprint is limited to regional organizations and a few strategic bilateral partnerships. The map essentially shows a tiny cluster of blue in the Caribbean and near-total gray elsewhere.