Spanish
Santo Domingo, RD. The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reports that, between January and May 2025, remittances received reached a figure of US$ 4,903.0 million, increasing 11.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. Particularly, the month of May registered a value of remittances of US$985.5 million, with an increase of 11.1%, compared to the same month of 2024. These resources sent by the Dominican diaspora abroad are important for development, as they generate a multiplier effect on consumption, investment, and the financing of the most vulnerable sectors of the country.
It is important to note that this positive performance of remittances occurs in an international context in which an environment of high uncertainty and volatility remains in international financial markets, where global growth expectations have been affected, causing movements in capital flows and greater caution in households and businesses, particularly in countries that host migrant communities.
In the specific case of the United States, one of the main factors that influenced the behavior of remittances was the performance during the month of May of some key indicators of that economy, from where 83.1% of the formal flows of the analyzed month originated, about US$759.2 million. On the one hand, the general unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, with no variation compared to the month of April, remaining close to full employment levels.
Similarly, the non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) recorded a value of 49.9 in May, slightly below the 51.6 of April 2025.
The BCRD also highlights the receipt of remittances through formal channels from other countries in May, such as Spain, for a value of US$54.1 million, 5.9% of the total, this being the second country in terms of the total number of Dominican diaspora residents abroad, as well as Haiti with a 1.4% share, Italy and Switzerland, each with a 1.1% share of the received flows. In the rest of the receipt of remittances, countries such as Canada and France, among others, stand out.
Regarding the distribution of remittances received by provinces, the BCRD indicates that the National District received a proportion of 37.1% during May, followed by the provinces of Santiago and Santo Domingo, with 13.2% and 8.0%, respectively. This reveals that more than half (58.3%) of the remittances are received in the metropolitan areas of the country.
