Dominican Republic Remittances Reach $8.43 Billion Through August

Remittances to the Dominican Republic reached $8.43 billion between January and August 2026, an increase of $511.7 million, or 6.5%, from the same period in 2025, according to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD). The sustained growth reinforces the importance of money sent by Dominicans living abroad to the country’s flow of foreign currency.

August alone generated $1.116 billion in remittances, $69.7 million more than in August 2025, representing year-over-year growth of 6.7%. The monthly figure also rose 1.8% from July, when transfers totaled $1.097 billion. August marked the sixth month in 2026 in which remittances exceeded the $1 billion threshold.

The United States Remains the Main Source

The United States continued to dominate the Dominican Republic’s formal remittance flows. Transfers originating there totaled $805.6 million in August, accounting for 80.8% of the month’s total. The concentration reflects the size of the Dominican diaspora in the U.S. and the economic conditions affecting workers who send money to relatives in the Caribbean.

The BCRD linked the performance to continued activity in the U.S. economy. The non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index from the Institute for Supply Management stood at 55.4 in August, indicating expansion in the services sector, where a significant portion of the Dominican population in the United States is employed.

U.S. unemployment remained at 4.1% in August, unchanged from July, while employment increased by 162,000 jobs. Spain was the second-largest source of Dominican remittances, contributing $66.6 million, or 6.7% of the August total. Italy accounted for 1.4%, followed by Haiti at 1.2% and Switzerland at 1.1%, with additional transfers coming from countries including France, Canada and Germany.

Most Remittances Went to the Country’s Metropolitan Areas

The geographic distribution of remittance recipients was heavily concentrated in the Dominican Republic’s largest urban centers. The National District received 50.7% of August’s total, followed by Santiago with 9.5% and Santo Domingo with 6.8%.

Together, the country’s metropolitan areas received 67% of the funds transferred during the month. These flows are an important source of household income and foreign currency, connecting the Dominican economy directly to employment and earnings among its overseas population.

Remittances Support Foreign-Exchange Stability

The continued inflow of dollars has also coincided with relative stability in the Dominican peso. As of August 31, 2026, the currency had appreciated 7.6% against the U.S. dollar compared with its level at the end of 2025, according to the BCRD.

International reserves stood at $15.43 billion at the end of August, equivalent to 10.6% of gross domestic product and enough to cover approximately 5.6 months of imports. For businesses and investors operating in the Dominican Republic, sustained foreign-currency inflows provide an important source of external liquidity alongside tourism, exports and foreign investment.

BCRD Expects Remittances to Reach $12.6 Billion in 2026

The central bank expects the country’s remittance inflows to continue growing through the end of the year. Its projection calls for approximately $12.6 billion in remittances during 2026, alongside more than $12.2 billion in tourism revenue.

The BCRD also forecasts total exports above $17.2 billion and foreign direct investment exceeding $5.3 billion. Around $3.3 billion in additional foreign-currency income is expected from other exported services.

Combined, those sources are projected to generate more than $50.7 billion in foreign-exchange income during 2026. The figures underline the role of remittances within a broader external-income base that includes tourism, trade, investment and services.