Dominican Republic remittances rise 6.7% to $6.219 billion in first half of 2026

The Dominican Republic received a record $6,219.3 million in remittances during the first half of 2026, a 6.7% increase year-on-year Source: eldiado, hoydo, elcaribedr, infobae, diariolibree, listindiario. In June alone, inflows reached $1,049.3 million, up 13.6% compared to June 2025, accelerating from the 10.6% growth observed in May Source: hoydo, diariolibree.

Key drivers

The surge is attributed primarily to remittances from the United States, which accounted for 81.4% of formal flows in June ($780.7 million) Source: elcaribedr, listindiario. The strong U.S. economy, with a non-manufacturing PMI of 54.0 and unemployment falling to 4.2% in June, supported diaspora workers Source: hoydo, listindiario. Spain remained the second-largest source with $61.8 million (6.4% of June flows), followed by Italy (1.3%), Haiti and Switzerland (1.2% each) Source: eldiado, infobae.

Domestic impact

The Distrito Nacional received 51% of June remittances, with Santiago (9.6%) and Santo Domingo (6.8%) also as top recipients; metropolitan areas absorbed 67.4% of total flows Source: diariolibree, elcaribedr. The inflows have strengthened the peso, which appreciated 5.6% against the dollar in the first half and 7.2% by July 8 Source: hoydo, listindiario. By end of June, international reserves stood at $15,821.6 million (11.3% of GDP), covering 5.7 months of imports Source: diariolibree, listindiario.

Outlook

The BCRD projects remittances to exceed $12,200 million for the full year 2026, alongside tourism receipts over $11,900 million and total exports around $17,300 million Source: diariolibree.