The Dominican government through its commercial bank (Banco de Reservas) for decades has facilitated low cost borrowing for new cars in the Dominican Republic. The results are showing. Diario Libre reports that the DR now ranks third in Latin America for vehicles per capital.
With a population of over 11 million, the country now boasts 6,081,697 registered vehicles as of September 2023, a nearly 25% increase over the last four years.
This surge in vehicle ownership, outpacing population growth, has led to noticeable traffic congestion in major cities and strained the nation’s otherwise impressive road infrastructure. The Dominican Republic now has 507.8 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, trailing only Argentina (590) and Brazil (521). This stands in contrast to the regional average of 200 vehicles per 1,000 people as reported by the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Motorcycles make up the largest segment of the Dominican vehicle fleet, with over 3.4 million units registered. They are involved in approximately 70% of traffic accidents, placing a significant burden on the healthcare system and impacting the economy. While the exact cost in lost work hours due to accidents remains undetermined, the Dominican Republic ranks among the world’s highest for traffic accident rates.
The vehicle park has expanded rapidly, with nearly a quarter more vehicles on the roads compared to 2020. This year alone, over 269,597 new vehicles were registered by September, following a record-setting 281,635 in 2022. This trend aligns with the country’s projected GDP growth of 5% for 2023, significantly higher than the 2.4% seen in 2022.
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Diario Libre
2 June 2025