Cameroon economy grows 1.6% despite public investment drop
Services, led by transport and financial services, drove growth in the first quarter of 2026.
Cameroon's economy expanded by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2026, recovering from a stagnant fourth quarter in 2025. This growth occurred even as public investment fell by 27.7% and imports rose by 10.2%. The National Institute of Statistics reported these figures on November 5, 2026.
The quarterly growth rate was the highest in six quarters, with real gross domestic product (GDP) increasing by 3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2025. Services contributed 1.1 percentage points to the overall GDP growth, with value added rising 2.2%. Transport services saw a 7.4% increase, followed by financial services at 4.3%.
Household consumption also rose by 2.6% in the same period. The primary sector grew by 1.3% and the secondary sector by 0.9%. Public administration services increased by 2.3%.