Credit to the private sector recorded a year-on-year growth of 9.1% at the end of June this year, a performance that confirms the role of bank financing as one of the main drivers of the recovery and growth of the Dominican economy in an international context marked by uncertainty and volatility, stated the Association of Commercial Banks of the Dominican Republic (ABA).
Through an analysis by its Directorate of Economic and Banking Studies, the ABA reported that the evolution of the portfolio shows an acceleration compared to the 7.4% cumulative growth recorded in December 2025, which represents an additional injection of more than RD$80 billion between January and June 2026, equivalent to 1.0% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Likewise, it highlighted that the Central Bank projects that credit to the private sector in national currency will continue to accelerate gradually until reaching a growth of 10.5% by the end of this year, which would raise the expansion of financing to RD$149,818 million, equivalent to 1.9% of GDP.
“That greater dynamism has been concentrated mainly in the commercial and mortgage segments, which evidences that the allocation of resources continues to support the activities that lead the expansion of the economy, such as construction, tourism, transport, and private investment, thus strengthening the country’s capacity to sustain its growth in an uncertain international environment,” indicated the ABA.
The analysis also highlights that, in parallel with credit growth, public deposits accelerated their pace of expansion, moving from 9.2% in December 2025 to 14.9% in June of this year. In absolute terms, during the first half of 2026, the deposit base available to financial intermediation entities increased by RD$257.124 billion, equivalent to 3.3% of GDP.
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In that sense, the Association of Banks considered this behavior as a sign of the confidence that the public maintains in the financial system and, at the same time, as a stable source of resources that allows banks to continue financing households and productive sectors under competitive conditions.
Performance of the main prudential indicators
When referring to the main prudential indicators, the ABA specified that the Superintendency of Banks’ statistics show that the system maintains a liquid asset ratio of over 40%; a stable delinquency rate below 2.0%; a non-performing loan coverage ratio close to 180%, well above the reference minimum; a solvency ratio of 17.3%, significantly higher than the regulatory requirement of 10%; and return on assets (2.4%) and equity (20.3%) levels that, although they have moderated, remain among the highest in Latin America, where regional averages stand at 2.0% and 14.3%, respectively.
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Regarding this moderation in profitability, the entity that brings together the country’s multiple banks explained that it responds to a prudent strategy adopted by financial institutions in the face of increasing global uncertainty.
“In a context of greater external risks, banks have prioritized strengthening their liquidity and capital levels, even if this implies sacrificing part of their profitability. This decision increases the system’s capacity to absorb potential shocks and continue supporting the financing of the Dominican economy,” he pointed out.
The analysis also specified that the Dominican economy recorded a growth of 4.5% during the first semester of 2026 and that the Central Bank projects an expansion close to 4.0% by the end of the year. “If this projection is realized, it would represent a recovery compared to the 2.1% growth observed in 2025 and would keep the country above the estimated average for Latin America, of around 2.0%,” it added.
For the ABA, the strength of the main financial indicators, together with the dynamism of credit destined for productive activities, has been a determining factor in preserving the resilience of the Dominican economy in the face of an international scenario characterized by geopolitical tensions, market volatility, and growing challenges for global trade.
