The close ties Dominican expats maintain with their homeland continues to manifest itself. Remittances continue strong. The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported that remittance inflows reached US$3.02 billion during the first quarter of 2026 (January–March), marking a 1.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Dominicans living abroad send back their savings to help family and friends, and to invest in their future retirement in the country.
In March 2026 alone, the country received US$1.15 billion, a 3.5% year-on-year increase and a significant 29.5% jump from February 2026. This growth occurred despite international volatility caused by Middle Eastern conflicts, which have driven up fuel prices and pressured household disposable income.
Key drivers and US economic data
The surge is primarily attributed to the Dominican diaspora in the United States, which accounted for 84.2% of formal flows in March (US$879.9 million). The BCRD noted that US-based Dominicans benefit from IRS tax refunds during this period. Supporting economic factors in the US include:
• Employment: General US unemployment fell to 4.3% in March (from 4.4% in February). Specifically, Latino unemployment improved to 4.8% from 5.2%.
• Service sector: The ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI stood at 54.0, signaling expansion in the service sector where a large portion of the diaspora is employed.
In addition to Dominicans living in the United States, the same strong inflows of remittances come from Spain, with US$54.9 million (5.3%), Haiti (1.1%), Italy (1.1%) and Switzerland (1.0%).
Domestically, the National District received 48.3% of March flows, followed by Santiago (10.6%) and Santo Domingo province (7.0%). Together, metropolitan areas accounted for 65.9% of all receipts.
Economic outlook and stability
The BCRD projects total 2026 remittances will reach approximately US$12.2 billion. While the 3.5% projected annual growth is lower than in 2025, partly due to a new US tax on outbound transfers effective January 2026, the external sector remains robust.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is expected to exceed US$5 billion by year-end. These inflows have supported currency stability; as of 31 March 2026, the Dominican peso appreciated 3.4% against the US dollar compared to December 2025. International reserves closed March at US$16.14 billion, representing 12.2% of GDP or 5.8 months of import cover, exceeding IMF benchmarks.
Tourism receipts continue strong, too. The Ministry of Tourism recently reported on record tourist arrivals for the first quarter of the year.
Read more in Spanish:
Central Bank
DR1 News – Ministry of Tourism
14 April 2026