Economic growth slows to 3.1% in 2025

On June 23, 2026, Célestin Tawamba, President of the Cameroon Business Group (GECAM), delivered a stark assessment of the country’s economic performance. He noted that Cameroon’s GDP growth plummeted to 3.1% in 2025, down from 3.5% in 2024, a rate he described as far below the 2035 emergence target. For context, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow by 4.5%, while WAEMU economies are expected to expand by 6.4%. The CEMAC region, of which Cameroon is the largest economy, managed only 2.6% growth.

Oil sector collapse deepens

The hydrocarbon sector, once Cameroon’s growth engine, continued its steep decline in 2025, contracting by 6.9% after a 9.7% drop in 2024. Tawamba emphasized that oil is no longer the primary driver of economic expansion.

Agriculture and cotton hit hard

The primary sector also faltered, with growth falling from 3.6% to 1.7%. Industrial and export-oriented agriculture reversed sharply, swinging from +8.7% in 2024 to -3.2% in 2025 due to climate challenges and declining export volumes. Cotton production fell far short of targets, totaling just 286,000 tons—well below the 400,000-ton goal. Exports dropped by 24%, and earnings plunged by 29.8%.

Cocoa and coffee exports weaken despite production gains

Even traditionally strong sectors showed cracks. Cocoa production reached a record 309,518 tons, but export volumes fell by 9%, though higher global prices boosted export earnings by 18%. Coffee followed a similar pattern: production rose from 10,562 to 11,637 tons, while exports declined by 2%, though revenue increased by 3.9%.

Meanwhile, Cameroon’s food import dependency grew, with maize imports rising by 4.5%, highlighting persistent food security challenges.

Industry stalls amid energy and financing hurdles

Industrial growth remained sluggish at 1.7% to 2%, while manufacturing output slowed from 2.9% to 2.2%. Tawamba attributed these struggles to expensive energy, logistical bottlenecks, financing constraints, and low competitiveness in the production base.