The interannual variation of 3.5% in the aforementioned period reflects the pace of expansion of the economic activity highest in the last ten months, after having registered an average growth of 2.1% in 2025.
The preliminary figures of the Monthly Economic Activity Indicator (IMAE) corresponding to the month of January 2026 show an interannual expansion of 3.5%, mainly resulting from the favorable performance of the real added value of the construction sector (7.6%), local manufacturing (3.4%) and the activities of the service sector as a whole (3.5%). Within the latter, hotels, bars and restaurants (3.8%), financial intermediation, insurance and related activities (4.6%), teaching (7.8%), health (5.8%), professional services (4.0%) and other service activities (3.5%) stand out.
Indicator
The indicators.
This performance It has been achieved despite the international context of uncertainty characterized by geopolitical tensions and changes in foreign trade policy, as well as in the field of immigration and social programs implemented by the United States of America, which affected the expectations of economic agents.
In the domestic sphere, when analyzing the behavior of the month of January 2026 by economic activity, it is observed that construction has started the year with an interannual growth of 7.6%, which is explained by greater execution in capital spending by the public sector, which closed 2025 at 2.9% of GDP, 0.4 percentage points higher than that observed in 2024, and by private investment in residential, commercial and tourist projects. The reactivation of the private component has been largely influenced by the more flexible financial conditions promoted by monetary policy, reflected in more favorable lending interest rates.
In this sense, to the extent that the monetary policy transmission mechanism continues to operate and the uncertainty factors that have affected private investment are resolved, together with greater public investment, the economy will be in a position to close 2026 with growth around 4.0%, gradually recovering its potential growth rate in the medium term.
In relation to the added value of hotels, bars and restaurants, it exhibited an interannual variation of 3.8%, which largely responds to the increase in the arrival of non-resident passengers by air, which reached a total of 825,847 tourists received by the different airports of the country in January 2026, meaning a growth of 8.7%, compared to the same month of 2025.
In another order, in January 2026, local manufacturing grew 3.4% in year-on-year terms, mainly explained by the behavior recorded in the manufacture of metallic products and non-metallic minerals. Instead, the manufacture of free zones exhibited an interannual variation of -3.9% and its exports totaled US$541.5 million in the aforementioned month.
The activity of financial intermediation, insurance and related activities experienced an interannual growth of 4.6%, mainly reflecting the 9.1% expansion of credit directed to the private sector in national and foreign currency, equivalent to an additional RD$211 billion compared to January 2025, as well as the favorable performance of the premium and commission income of the conglomerate of companies represented in this activity.
Finally, it is important to highlight that the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic will continue to monitor the behavior of the economyadopting the necessary actions to help gradually resume the path of growth around potential, to the extent that there is sufficient space to do so without compromising price stability, which constitutes the primary mission and constitutional commitment of the institution.
Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (IMAE)*
Growth rates 2025-2026 (%)
The indicators, according to the Central Bank.
