SANTO DOMINGO. – The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported last week that the Dominican economy registered a year-on-year growth of 4.7% in May 2026, according to preliminary figures from the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (IMAE), maintaining an accumulated average of 4.2% in the first five months of the year.
The construction, tourism and real estate sectors are among the main drivers of that performance, despite the external context marked by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the rise in international transport and oil costs, as well as instability.
Construction: the fastest-growing sector
Construction led growth in May with a year-on-year expansion of 7.1%, surpassing its cumulative average from January to April, which stood at 4.6%. The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) attributed this result to the execution of private-capital commercial, residential, and tourism projects, supported by favorable financing conditions.
At the end of May, credit to the sector registered a year-on-year increase of 23.7%, equivalent to more than RD$35 billion in additional credit compared to the same period in 2025.
The increase in sales volumes of the main construction inputs demonstrated, according to the report, the production chains that characterize the activity.
Real Estate: Sustained Growth
Real estate and rental activities registered an expansion of 4.4% in May, above the 3.8% accumulated from January to April, for an average of 3.9% in the first five months of the year.
Although the report does not break down specific factors for this subsector, its behavior is framed within the general dynamism of private construction and the financing conditions that the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) itself points out as favorable.
Tourism: record arrivals and sustained acceleration
Hotels, bars and restaurants grew 6.2% in May, above the 5.9% recorded in the accumulated January-April, with an average from January to May of 6.0%.
This boost came from the increase in the arrival of non-resident passengers by air: in May, 743,983 tourists were received, an increase of 10.4% compared to the same month in 2025.
The cumulative flow of international tourists reached 4,146,831 people in the first five months of the year, representing a growth of 10.8% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) highlighted the impact of the Ministry of Tourism's promotional strategies aimed at diversifying source markets.
The Central Bank also indicated that it will continue to monitor the economy's performance in an environment of high international uncertainty, with the goal of preserving price stability and sound macroeconomic conditions.
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