Economy: prospects still hinge on major projects
Following the ITSEE, it was the IEDOM’s turn to present the 2025 figures for the region, along with some early trends for 2026 and an outlook for next year.
The Overseas Departments’ Monetary Institute (IEDOM) carries out central banking functions on behalf of the Banque de France. The ITSEE, the Territorial Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, provides detailed data on Saint Martin. As the two organisations work closely together on certain data sets, it comes as little surprise that their analyses are largely consistent (see our 16 October edition) regarding employment, the construction sector and tourism, which remains the driving force behind the local economy.
The IEDOM, in particular, conducts an in-depth analysis of banking activity. By the end of 2025, outstanding loans totalled €518.6 million, driven by growth in investment loans (+10.2 per cent), consumer loans (+9.5 per cent) and property loans (+5.1 per cent). Bank deposits stabilised at €536.2 million. It is worth noting that 58.6 per cent of business loans are investment loans and 80.1 per cent of loans to individuals are home loans.
For 2026, tourism is expected to continue its growth. With most of the post-Irma construction projects now complete, the construction sector will need to focus on new projects, particularly under the 2025–2030 Local Housing Programme. By 2027, however, several key infrastructure projects are still expected to go ahead, some of which have been held up for years by funding difficulties, red tape or political decisions: electricity generation, the expansion of Galisbay harbour and waste management.
The report emphasises that “the success of this recovery will also depend on the region’s ability to optimise the public procurement chain”.
