“Taking into account the projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and those of Haitian public institutions—the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) and the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Technology (IHSI)—there will be, by the end of this fiscal year, a contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) of between 1.5% and 1.7%,” Governor Ronald Gabriel said on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, during a press conference by the BRH Board of Directors, held at the bank’s offices in Delmas to provide a better understanding of economic issues and the central bank’s decisions.

Several shocks, both external and internal, are delaying the return of economic growth in the country, according to Gabriel. Externally, he cited international geopolitical tensions and their impact on domestic prices, the tightening of financial conditions, the hardening of migration policies in certain partner countries and their impact on Haiti because of the country’s dependence on imports and remittances from the diaspora. Internally, the head of the BRH referred to the country’s security situation, which is affecting every sector of economic life.