DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The World Bank released its latest regional economic update on 8 April 2026, projecting that economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will slow to 2.1% this year. This is a decline from the 2.4% growth recorded in 2025, as the region grapples with persistent global headwinds, high borrowing costs, and stagnant investment.

The report, titled “Slow Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean amid Global Uncertainty and Weak Investment,” highlights a challenging macroeconomic landscape. William Maloney, World Bank Chief Economist for LAC, emphasized that the region is missing out on major opportunities like nearshoring due to deep-seated productivity gaps and the rise of new trade barriers.

While the broader LAC region struggles, the Dominican Republic remains a regional outlier, consistently outperforming its neighbors. In its most recent...