Dominican Republic Ranks Second in Caribbean Foreign Investment in 2025
The Dominican Republic drew over US$5 billion in foreign investment in 2025, according to the UN. Here are the sectors that grew the most.
Key points
- The Dominican Republic was the Caribbean's second-largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2025, behind Guyana.
- Investment grew 11% from the previous year and accounted for 27% of regional inflows.
- New project announcements (greenfield) reached US$1,493 million, up nearly 30%.
- Streamlined procedures such as the Single Investment Window cut response times in half.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlighted the Dominican Republic's performance in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and its shift toward higher-value activities. The recognition appears in the Caribbean Investment Report 2026, the first UNCTAD report devoted specifically to investment in the Caribbean. The Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic (ProDominicana) publicized the findings.
According to the report, the country was the second-largest recipient of FDI in the Caribbean in 2025, with about US$5 billion, trailing only Guyana. That represents 11% growth over the previous year. The document says the Dominican Republic captured 27% of regional investment flows, excluding offshore financial centers. Investments were spread across tourism, logistics, energy, manufacturing, and business services.
Announcements of new projects, known as greenfield investments, totaled US$1,493 million in 2025, up from US$1,146 million in 2024. The report attributes much of that increase to a US$760 million logistics and warehousing project by DP World, along with initiatives in tourism, renewable energy, and manufacturing. The document itself notes that these figures are announced amounts and do not necessarily equal money already disbursed.
The report also highlights progress in simplifying procedures for investors. It cites programs such as Burocracia Cero, the Meta RD 2036 framework, and the Single Investment Window (VUI). According to UNCTAD, these measures cut response times by 50% and reduced administrative costs by an amount equivalent to 1.3% of gross domestic product.
Vladimir Pimentel F., executive director of ProDominicana, said the recognition reaffirms the need to connect investment with innovation, local supplier development, talent training, and export growth. The report also names advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences, aerospace, and logistics as priority sectors. It additionally mentions recent investments by Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon Web Services, which reinforce the country's goal of becoming a regional digital services hub.
Why it matters
More foreign investment can mean more jobs in tourism, logistics, energy, and manufacturing. It also supports the country's push into digital services and technology.
With additional reporting from: El Nuevo Diario