SANTO DOMINGO– According to the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (IMAE) for March 2026, economic activity showed a year-on-year increase of 5.1%, representing the highest rate of expansion in the last eleven months. The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported that with this result, the average accumulated growth during the first quarter of the year stands at 4.1%.
This is how the national sectors progressed
According to figures released by the agency, the performance in March 2026 was primarily due to the favorable year-on-year growth in real value added in the construction sector (8.0%), manufacturing in free trade zones (7.8%), financial intermediation, insurance, and related activities (7.0%), and the services sector as a whole (5.9%), with hotels, bars, and restaurants (8.0%), transportation and storage (7.6%), health (6.4%), and trade (5.1%) standing out among the latter. Additionally, local manufacturing (3.9%) and agriculture (2.4%) also registered positive growth.
It specifies that the construction sector registered a year-on-year variation of 8.0% in March 2026, driven primarily by increased private investment in residential, commercial, and tourism projects. Furthermore, the reduction in lending rates has contributed to expanding access to credit, boosting activity in the sector. This performance is reflected in the increased sales volume of key inputs, such as cement and metal structures, compared to the same period in 2025.
“Regarding the performance of other industrial activities in March, manufacturing in free trade zones showed year-on-year growth of 7.8%, a performance reflected in exports under this regime, which registered an 8.0% year-on-year increase in that month. In the case of mining, activity registered a year-on-year variation of 4.3%, associated with higher extraction volumes of gold, silver, and sand, gravel, and crushed stone. Similarly, local manufacturing grew by 3.9%, supported by the performance of alcoholic beverage production, other manufacturing industries, and the production of other food products,” the regulatory body emphasized.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported that the value added of hotels, bars, and restaurants showed an 8.0% year-on-year increase in March, primarily due to the surge in non-resident air, which reached a historic milestone, marking the first time the country has surpassed 900,000 tourists in that month. In cumulative terms, 2,603,645 tourists arrived at the country's various airports during the first three months of 2026, representing a 12.2% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Likewise, financial intermediation, insurance and related activities experienced a year-on-year growth of 7.0%, largely reflecting the 7.9% expansion of credit directed to the private sector in national and foreign currency, equivalent to an additional RD$185 billion compared to March 2025, as well as the favorable performance of premium and commission income from the conglomerate of companies represented in this activity.
Regarding the agricultural sector, he explains that it showed a year-on-year growth of 2.4% driven by the increase in the production of bananas, avocados, cocoa, plantains, eggs, among other items.
Will remain attentive to the challenges of the international panorama
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic affirmed that it will continue to monitor the performance of the Dominican economy in the face of the prevailing challenging international environment, marked by high levels of uncertainty stemming from geopolitical tensions. In this context, the orientation of monetary policy and domestic financial conditions remain aligned with the objective of maintaining price stability and preserving macroeconomic stability.
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