Dominican Republic’s formal business sector grows 5% in 2025

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic’s private sector continued to expand in 2025, with growth in formal businesses and employment highlighting the strength of the country’s productive economy.

According to official data published by the National Statistics Office (ONE) in May 2026, the country had 125,715 formal business units in 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year. The formal labor market also grew, surpassing 2.56 million jobs, up 3.2% nationwide.

The latest Business Directory measurement recorded 14,458 newly formalized businesses, resulting in a business birth rate of 11.6%. The commercial sector led the economy, accounting for 31.8% of all formal businesses in the country.

The accommodation and food services sector was also among the fastest-growing areas, recording a 14.9% business opening rate, the third-highest nationwide. Greater Santo Domingo alone added 68 new formal restaurants during the period.

The Dominican Association of Restaurants (ADERES) estimates that more than 5,000 food and beverage establishments currently operate nationwide, including restaurants, cafés, pizzerias, trattorias and dining venues within hotels.

ADERES representatives said changes in the restaurant landscape should not necessarily be viewed as evidence of contraction. Instead, they described business closures, relocations and new openings as part of a process of adaptation, reinvestment and market evolution.

Omar Cepeda, former president and current member of ADERES’ Advisory Council, explained that businesses may relocate because of property-related issues, completely change their concepts or be replaced when their premises are acquired by other business groups.

Cepeda noted that new establishments often emerge as others close, making it important to assess the sector based on its overall growth rather than individual business closures.

The continued creation of formal businesses and jobs, particularly in commerce, tourism-related services and gastronomy, points to an increasingly dynamic private sector adapting to changing consumer demand and contributing to the Dominican Republic’s economic development.