• CEMAC prices fall 0.4% in Q4 2025, ending five-year rise
• Inflation stood at 2.8%, below region’s 3% threshold
• Sharpest price declines recorded in Chad and Gabon

The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) recorded its first decline in prices in nearly five years, according to data from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC).

“In the fourth quarter of 2025, prices in CEMAC fell by 0.4%, ending a streak of increases recorded over 18 consecutive quarters since the second quarter of 2021,” the central bank said. It attributed the shift to inflation in the zone running below that of its main trading partners, helping keep local prices relatively stable. In October 2025, the inflation rate stood at 2.8%, unchanged from September and below the region’s 3% tolerance threshold.

The trend also reflects the region’s trade structure, which remains heavily dominated by hydrocarbons, particularly oil and gas, which account for a large share of exports in several member states. Outside the energy sector, the decline recorded at the end of 2025 was driven by more favourable prices for certain domestic commodities. It was also linked to the depreciation of the CFA franc against several currencies, including the Chinese yuan (down 2.1%), the U.S. dollar (down 0.9%) and the euro (down 0.6%), making goods from the region more competitive on international markets.

By country, Chad and Gabon recorded the sharpest declines.

Prices fell most sharply in Chad (down 4.8%) and Gabon (down 2.4%). Elsewhere in the bloc, the picture was more mixed. Cameroon (down 0.4%) and Equatorial Guinea (down 0.1%) also saw their competitiveness improve. In Congo, the situation deteriorated slightly, while the Central African Republic moved in the opposite direction, losing competitiveness on international markets.

The central bank cautioned, however, that the respite may prove short-lived. Global geopolitical tensions could push up the cost of maritime shipping and imported manufactured goods as early as the first months of 2026.

Sandrine Gaingne