Between January and March of this year, remittance flows that arrived in the country totaled US$3,019.6 million, reflecting an annual increase of 1.9%, according to the Central Bank.
In March alone, US$1,149.2 million were received, an amount higher by US$38.9 million (3.5%) than that received in March 2025 and considerably higher than that received in February of this year for US$261.6 million (29.5%), the institution stated in a note sent to the media.
The entity indicated that this growth in March occurs despite the complex international environment that currently prevails.
“The conflicts in the Middle East have raised the prices of oil and its derivatives, which has generated greater inflationary pressures and has reduced the disposable income of households,” he explained, adding that the rebound responds, to a large extent, to the shipments made by Dominicans in the United States, the country from which 84.2% of the formal flows received in March originated, equivalent to about US$879.9 million.
The Central Bank points out as relevant that, during this period, the diaspora in the United States receives a significant proportion of the tax refunds stipulated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), thus increasing its sending capacity.
The receipt of remittances through formal channels from countries such as Spain also stood out, for a value of US$54.9 million, 5.3% of the total, this being the second country in terms of the total residents of the Dominican diaspora abroad, as well as Haiti and Italy, with 1.1% and Switzerland with 1.0% of the flows received. In the rest of the reception of remittances, Canada and Panama stand out.
Regarding the distribution of remittances received by provinces, the BCRD indicates that the National District received a proportion of 48.3% during March, followed by the provinces of Santiago and Santo Domingo, with 10.6% and 7.0%, respectively. This indicates that almost two thirds (65.9%) of remittances are received in the metropolitan areas of the country.
The 1.9% growth in the flow of remittances received between January and March is consistent with the projections of this Central Bank, which maintain an interannual growth of 3.5% for 2026, lower than that observed in 2025, considering the entry into force last January of the new tax on shipments from the US, and the uncertainty of the current international environment.
Analyzing the evolution of the external sector, the BCRD’s perspectives contemplate a favorable evolution of foreign exchange earnings during 2026, such as tourism earnings, foreign direct investment (FDI) and exports, together with remittances. As for remittances, it is estimated that they will be around US$12.2 billion and that FDI will exceed US$5 billion by the end of the year.
These foreign currency inflows will contribute to maintaining the relative stability of the exchange rate currently observed, such that, as of March 31, 2026, the national currency appreciated 3.4% against the US dollar compared to December 2025.
These greater external flows also allow maintaining an adequate level of international reserves, which at the end of March stood at US$16,143.1 million, representing 12.2% of GDP and covering about 5.8 months of imports, indicators above the thresholds recommended by the IMF.
