The Swiss franc rises rapidly and is trading at RD$80 while the diaspora there shrinks

The Swiss franc, the official currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, has been appreciating strongly against the Dominican peso this year, rising more than 1,156 points between January and September 2025. The Swiss franc is currently trading at RD$80.05 Dominican pesos per one according to the reference price set for this Wednesday, September 10th, by the Central Bank. This currency went from costing $68.49 each in January, to RD$80.05 as of September 10th. Switzerland is the fourth country from which the most remittances arrive in the Dominican Republic, after the United States, Spain, Italy, and Haiti. The participation of remittances from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic represents 1.4% of the total flow received in the first half of this year.

Switzerland is, in turn, the Dominican Republic's third-largest trading partner, and where in 2024 products equivalent to US$750 million dollars were exported. Likewise, Dominicans in Switzerland represent an important part of the Dominican diaspora in Europe, and one of the most important Dominican communities abroad. The latest available data on the Dominican population residing in Switzerland shows a significant reduction. According to the Sociodemographic Registry Report of the Institute of Dominicans and Dominicans Abroad (INDEX) of 2022, there are 5,867 Dominicans living in Switzerland. This is less than the 12,377 Dominicans registered as residing in that country in 2020, although the reasons for the displacement of Dominicans in that country towards other nations are unknown. It is recalled that in January 2023, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, held a meeting with the Dominican community residing in Switzerland, as part of the agenda she is developing in that country prior to her participation in the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum 2023. During the meeting, Peña explained that the Government headed by President Luis Abinader seeks to continue strengthening ties with Dominicans residing abroad through programs and policies that seek to benefit them in different aspects, such as health, housing, education, among others.