The U.S. Dollar in Bolivia’s parallel market experienced slight fluctuations on Friday, March 6, 2026, as demand for the currency continues to influence exchange rates, according to reports from dolarboliviahoy.com. By 12:36 PM local time, the dollar was trading at Bs 9.33 for sale and Bs 9.35 for purchase.
This represents a modest increase from earlier in the day, when the exchange rate was Bs 9.22 for sale and Bs 9.25 for purchase. The “blue” dollar, as reported by bolivianblue.net, mirrored these movements, also settling at Bs 9.33 for sale and Bs 9.35 for purchase.
Although operating outside the official financial system, the parallel market’s exchange rates are closely monitored by Bolivian citizens, businesses, and economic sectors involved in foreign currency transactions. The Banco Central de Bolivia (BCB) reported a reference exchange rate of Bs 6.86 to the dollar on Friday, a 1.9% increase from the previous day’s Bs 6.73, according to Dow Jones reporting.
Economic forecasts for 2026 indicate a potential recession of -1.1% in Bolivia’s GDP, as projected by the World Bank, while the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) anticipates marginal growth of 0.5%. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has refrained from providing long-term estimates due to ongoing uncertainty.
The government of Bolivia aims to reduce the fiscal deficit to 7% this year, while projecting inflation up to 17%. The IMF previously cautioned that inflation could exceed 15% if monetary emission is not controlled.
Early in 2026, the parallel market demonstrated temporary stability, with rates around Bs 9.64, linked to expectations surrounding currency reforms and the announcement of $4.5 billion in funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the 2026-2028 period. The BCB has begun publishing daily reference values, currently around Bs 9.21 for purchase and Bs 9.40 for sale, as part of a planned currency unification process for the first half of the year.