Economy, jobs and prices in Centre, Cameroon: official figures
The 2023 General Census of Enterprises counted 117,405 businesses and establishments in the Centre region, 26.8% of Cameroon's 438,893, up from 56,654 in 2016 (+107.2%; Cameroon: +109.5%). 86,410 of them are in Yaoundé.
How much business turnover is there in the Centre region?
Businesses with their head office in the Centre region reported a turnover of 3,739 billion CFA francs in 2022, 18.8% of the national total; 2nd highest of the 10 regions.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique · saved copyHow many formal jobs are there in the Centre region?
Businesses headquartered in the Centre region employed 359,799 permanent workers in 2022, against 170,877 in 2015 (30.5% of the 1,178,044 permanent jobs counted nationally). The census counts all of a firm's jobs in the region of its head office, including staff at branches in other regions.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique · saved copyWhat is the inflation rate in Yaoundé?
Consumer prices in Yaoundé, the regional capital, rose by 3.7% on average in 2025, joint 4th highest of the 10 regional capitals (Cameroon: 3.4%, above the 3% ceiling set by CEMAC).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique · saved copyAre prices still rising in Yaoundé?
In July 2026 prices in Yaoundé were 3.2% higher than a year earlier (Cameroon: 3.4% higher).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique · saved copyDo people in the Centre region have clean drinking water?
72.7% of people in the Centre region had at least a basic drinking water service (an improved source within a 30-minute round trip) in 2018 (combining Yaoundé, 92.5%, and the rest of the Centre region, 53.0%, by population), 4th highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 66.5%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copyHow many homes in the Centre region have a proper toilet?
44.5% of people in the Centre region had basic sanitation (an improved toilet not shared with other households) in 2018 (combining Yaoundé, 52.3%, and the rest of the Centre region, 36.8%, by population), 4th highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 42.8%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copyMore figures
- That is 225 businesses for every 10,000 residents (using the 2023 population projection), 2nd highest of the 10 regions (Cameroon: 156). Source: Institut National de la Statistique · saved copy
How Centre compares with other regions
Businesses per 10,000 residents (RGE3 2023, population projection 2023) (2023)
Centre ranks 2 of 10, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Businesses per 10,000 residents (RGE3 2023, population projection 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littoral | 383 |
| 2 | Centre | 225 |
| 3 | West | 196 |
| 4 | South | 162 |
| 5 | East | 143 |
| 6 | South-West | 139 |
| 7 | Adamawa | 96 |
Consumer price inflation in the regional capital (annual average) (2025)
Centre ranks 4 of 10, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Consumer price inflation in the regional capital (annual average) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adamawa | 4.5% |
| 2 | North-West | 4.5% |
| 3 | West | 4.1% |
| 4 | Centre | 3.7% |
| 5 | South-West | 3.7% |
| 6 | South | 3.3% |
| 7 | Littoral | 3.2% |
Population with at least basic drinking water (2018)
Centre ranks 4 of 10, highest first. Centre and Littoral combine the survey figures for Yaoundé and Douala with the rest of each region, weighted by population.
| Rank | Region | Population with at least basic drinking water |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littoral | 91.5% |
| 2 | South-West | 91.5% |
| 3 | North-West | 75.0% |
| 4 | Centre | 72.7% |
| 5 | South | 70.2% |
| 6 | Far North | 65.6% |
| 7 | West | 64.9% |
More on Centre: overview · health · education and schools · Cameroon
Sources
- Institut National de la Statistique: Note sur les prix au Cameroun en décembre 2025 (consumer price index by regional capital; inflation in 2025), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c55e0a546c1…)
- Institut National de la Statistique: Note sur les prix au Cameroun en juillet 2026 (consumer price index by regional capital), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9dc29d67ea92…)
- Institut National de la Statistique (with ICF, The DHS Program): Enquête Démographique et de Santé du Cameroun 2018 (EDSC-V), final report: regional tables 2.1.2, 2.3.2, 2.6, 2.13, 3.3.1, 3.13, 5.2, 8.2-8.3, 9.5, 10.3, 11.1, 12.15, 14.4, 17.10.1, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2fd029d9c33…)
- Institut National de la Statistique: 3rd General Census of Enterprises (RGE3), main report: businesses by region 2009-2023, turnover by region 2022, permanent jobs by region 2022, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62895f181cfb…)
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