The Ministry of Education (Minerd) is slated to receive a massive RD$332.03 billion budget for 2026, according to the draft of the National Budget (PGE) bill submitted to the National Congress, El Dia reports. This is the largest ministry allotment in the country.
This allocation for Minerd, the entity that regulates early, primary, and secondary education in the country, marks a significant 7.1% increase over the current 2025 budget. The boost amounts to more than RD$22.06 billion compared to the current year’s budget of RD309.96 billion. If approved without change by legislators the RD332.03 billion would solidify Minerd as the recipient of the largest sectoral expenditure within the Central Government.
By law, the Minerd is consistently assigned 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the annual National Budget. However, despite this historically significant funding and the latest increase, the text notes a recurring problem: past Minerd administrations have rarely managed to execute the total assigned budget each year, with 2020 being a rare exception due to the pandemic.
This pattern of under-execution often leads to the education budget experiencing a reduction during modifications to the PGE, with portions of the funds being transferred to other institutions. Critics argue this reflects a lack of efficiency and planning in the use of taxpayer resources.
A closer look at the 2026 funding reveals a highly rigid distribution, with the bulk of the money designated for recurrent expenses. The budget allots RD$301.55 billion (90.8% of the total) to current expenses and only RD$30.47 billion (9.2% of the total) to capital expenses.
This split underscores the historic predominance of recurrent expenditures —primarily salaries— over investment in infrastructure, equipment, and school maintenance.
The macro-economic framework of the budget projects the nominal GDP at RD$8.6 trillion for 2026. Within this structure, the proposed education budget represents approximately 3.9% of the GDP, which continues to fall just short of the 4% constitutional mandate.
Following historical trends, an estimated 65% of the education budget will likely be earmarked for direct personnel costs. This means Minerd could spend approximately RD$215.82 billion on the remuneration of teachers and administrative staff—a figure equivalent to nearly 2.9% of the projected GDP.
While Minerd remains the principal destination of public spending in 2026, the internal composition of the budget—with limited capital investment and a predominance of salaries—leaves the discussion open regarding the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of educational financing in the Dominican Republic. The Ministry is one of the state entities that has historically handled the most resources, having managed over RD$1.15 trillion from the GDP between 2020 and 2024.
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El Dia
2 October 2025