The Dominican economy grew 4.0% in the first four months of 2026, according to preliminary figures from the Monthly Economic Activity Indicator (IMAE), a variation above the 2.7% recorded in the same period of 2025. In April, the interannual advance was 3.8%, also above the 1.7% of that month a year earlier.
The performance of the Dominican economy between January and April was sustained by several fronts. Mining led with a 10.7% increase, while construction advanced 4.6%, free trade zone manufacturing 3.7%, and local manufacturing 3.6%. The services sector, as a whole, grew 4.4%.
Within services, education, financial services, hotels, bars and restaurants, health, transportation and storage, and other market activities stood out. That pattern confirms that the Dominican economy continues to depend on a broad group of sectors, not just one.
Dominican economy: Construction maintains traction
Construction showed an average of 4.6% in the quarter, although in April it fell 1.8%. The impetus came from private commercial and tourist projects, as well as residential works in execution. Credit to the sector rose 26.1% interannually to April, a sign of financial support to the segment.
That data is relevant because construction usually reacts quickly to the cost of money and business confidence. In this case, credit helped to sustain part of the dynamism of the Dominican economy despite the April slowdown.
Tourism, credit, and external pressure on the Dominican economy
Hotels, bars and restaurants grew 5.9%, favored by campaigns from the Ministry of Tourism and by an arrival of over 2.6 million non-resident passengers by air in January-March. In March, over 900,000 air passengers were exceeded for the first time in a single month.
Financial intermediation, insurance, and related activities advanced 6.2% thanks to a 9.3% increase in credit to the private sector in national and foreign currency, equivalent to RD$216 million additional by April 2025. That flow continued to provide oxygen to the Dominican economy.
The Central Bank warned that it maintains monitoring of the Dominican economy in an uncertain international environment, marked by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, oil price increases, and higher transportation costs.
That external context can pressure prices and global growth expectations. Despite this, the Central Bank stated that monetary policy will continue to focus on preserving price stability and macroeconomic conditions. For the Dominican economy, the immediate challenge will be to sustain growth without losing control over inflation and financial costs.
