Cameroon economy grows 1.6% despite investment drop
The country's GDP saw its strongest rise in six quarters in early 2026, driven by services and household spending.
Cameroon's economy grew by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2026, marking its strongest performance in six quarters. This growth occurred even as public investment fell by 27.7%. The national institute of statistics published these figures on November 5, 2026.
The overall real gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2025. Services were the primary driver, with value added rising 2.2%, contributing 1.1 percentage points to the GDP growth. Transport services saw a significant 7.4% increase.
Household consumption rose by 2.6% in the same period, supporting the economic rebound. Imports also increased by 10.2% during the first quarter of 2026.
Why it mattersCameroonian households and businesses are affected by the 1.6% economic growth and the 2.6% rise in household consumption.