Dominican Republic's public debt hits $83.79 billion by June 2026

Dominican Republic's public debt climbed to $83.79 billion by the end of June 2026. The Non-Financial Public Sector accounts for the majority, holding $67.37 billion (80.4%), while the Central Bank holds $16.42 billion (19.6%).

Relative to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Non-Financial Public Sector's debt represents 47.9%, and the Central Bank's debt is 11.7%. Combined, the total public debt stands at 59.5% of GDP. This marks a significant increase from a decade ago when consolidated public debt was $40.41 billion, or 53.2% of GDP. The debt has grown by $43.38 billion since then, an increase of 6.4 percentage points relative to GDP.

While debt as a proportion of GDP is a key indicator of fiscal sustainability, it is not sufficient on its own. The article highlights that the weight of interest payments on tax revenues is also crucial. In the initial 2026 budget, these interest payments equal 26.2% of tax revenue. This proportion could change with a reformulated budget, but those figures are not yet available.

The sustained growth in debt requires more resources for interest payments. To manage this, the article suggests advancing fiscal discipline and enhancing control over public spending. It argues against repeatedly shifting the cost of fiscal imbalances onto taxpayers through higher tax burdens.