PLD claims cost of Christmas dinner has risen nearly 190% in five years

Santo Domingo.- Representatives of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) warned that Dominican families will spend RD$11,019 more on Christmas dinner in 2025 compared to 2020, according to a study presented during a press conference held by the party’s Secretariat of Agricultural Affairs.

PLD leader Adriano Sánchez Roa stated that the estimated cost of a traditional Christmas dinner has risen from RD$5,805 in 2020 to RD$16,825 in 2025, representing an accumulated increase of nearly 190% over five years. He described the rise as excessive and argued that it will prevent many families from properly celebrating Christmas Eve.

Sánchez Roa attributed the increase to what he described as government neglect of the agricultural sector, including the dismissal of technical personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture and the weakening of the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD). He also claimed that the concentration of food distribution and the elimination of social programs implemented under the previous PLD administration have worsened food insecurity.

According to the PLD, high prices for staple Christmas foods—such as pork, chicken, turkey, rice, vegetables, and dairy products—have made traditional meals increasingly unaffordable. The party further argued that current government assistance programs and Christmas bonuses do not adequately compensate for the loss of earlier social food support initiatives.