Shrinking growth and sectoral declines mark Cameroun’s economy in 2025

GECAM president Célestin Tawamba has painted a bleak picture of Cameroun’s economic performance in 2025, warning that growth has fallen to 3.1%, down from 3.5% in 2024. This rate, he argues, falls far short of the 2035 emergence target.

To put this into perspective, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to achieve average growth of 4.5% in 2025, while West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) economies are expected to expand by 6.4%. The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), of which Cameroun is the largest economy, is forecast to grow by just 2.6%—a figure that underscores the country’s underperformance.

Collapse of the oil sector deepens economic challenges

The hydrocarbon sector, once a key driver of growth, contracted by 6.9% in 2025 following a 9.7% decline in 2024. This confirms the sector’s diminished role in the national economy, according to Tawamba.

Agriculture and export sectors hit hard

In the primary sector, growth slowed dramatically from 3.6% in 2024 to just 1.7% in 2025. Industrial agriculture and export-oriented crops saw a dramatic reversal, plunging from +8.7% in 2024 to -3.2% in 2025 due to climate challenges and declining export volumes across multiple value chains.

The cotton industry epitomizes this downturn. Production plummeted to 286,000 tonnes—well below the 400,000-tonne target. Export volumes fell by 24%, while the value of exports dropped by 29.8%.

Export performance weakens despite production gains

Even traditionally strong sectors face vulnerabilities. The cocoa sector achieved a record harvest of 309,518 tonnes in 2025, yet export volumes declined by 9%. However, export earnings rose by 18% due to surging global prices. Coffee followed a similar pattern: production increased from 10,562 to 11,637 tonnes, while export volumes fell by 2%. Export revenues, however, grew by 3.9%.

The president highlighted the paradox of rising production coinciding with declining export volumes, which he attributes to both domestic supply constraints and external market dynamics.

Food dependency on the rise

Cameroun’s food security situation continues to deteriorate. Maize imports climbed by 4.5%, reflecting persistent challenges in achieving national food self-sufficiency. The industrial sector also failed to fulfill its role as an engine of economic transformation, with growth stagnating between 1.7% and 2%. Manufacturing industries saw a slowdown from 2.9% to 2.2%.

Tawamba attributed these setbacks to high energy costs, logistical bottlenecks, financing constraints, and declining competitiveness across the productive sectors.