Economy — Cameroon
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Cameroon: Cameroon’s market-based, diversified economy features oil and gas, timber, aluminum, agriculture, mining, and the service sector. Oil remains Cameroon’s main export commodity, and despite falling global oil prices, still accounts for nearly 40% of exports. Cameroon’s economy suffers from factors that often impact…
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Economic overview
- Economic Overview
Cameroon’s market-based, diversified economy features oil and gas, timber, aluminum, agriculture, mining, and the service sector.
Oil remains Cameroon’s main export commodity, and despite falling global oil prices, still accounts for nearly 40% of exports.
Cameroon’s economy suffers from factors that often impact underdeveloped countries, such as stagnant per capita income, relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, endemic corruption, continuing inefficiencies of a large parastatal system in key sectors, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise.
Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks.
The IMF continues to press for economic reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
The Government of Cameroon provides subsidies for electricity, food, and fuel that have strained the federal budget and diverted funds from education, healthcare, and infrastructure projects, as low oil prices have led to lower revenues.
Cameroon devotes significant resources to several large infrastructure projects currently under construction, including a deep seaport in Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower Project.
Cameroon’s energy sector continues to diversify, recently opening a natural gas-powered electricity generating plant.
Cameroon continues to seek foreign investment to improve its inadequate infrastructure, create jobs, and improve its economic footprint, but its unfavorable business environment remains a significant deterrent to foreign investment.
- Industries
Petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$3,300.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
4.8%
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$94,940,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$3,300.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
4.8%
- GDP - official exchange rate
$30,870,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household Consumption: 76.8%
- Government Consumption: 12.1%
- Investment in Fixed Capital: 22.7%
- Investment in Inventories: 0.2%
- Exports of Goods and Services: 20.3%
- Imports of Goods and Services: -32.1%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
21.3%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
30.8%
- GDP by Sector- services
47.9%
- Industrial Growth Rate
5.2%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
2.4%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
605.7
- Currency Name and Code
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF)
- Fiscal Year
1 July - 30 June
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
12.5%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
9,612,000
- Unemployment Rate
30%
- Major Industries
Petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
- Agriculture Products
- Coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, cassava (manioc, tapioca)
- livestock
- timber
- Population Below Poverty Line
48%
- Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14
1,396,281
- Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14
31%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$4,765,000,000 (USD)
- Public Debt (% of GDP)
31.1%
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-5.6%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
15.4%
