As in 2019, the inflation rate is 2.5% and remains contained below the CEMAC standard of 3%.
The inflation rate is 2.5% in 2020. This increase in the general price level was mainly fuelled by the recovery in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages (+3.6% after +2.9% in 2019) as well as “housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels” (+3.0% after +1.7% in 2019). Food prices are rising, mainly due to the surge in the prices of fruit (+9.1% after +10.0% in 2019), vegetables (+8.5% after +6.7% in 2019) and bread and cereals (+3.8% after +1.7% in 2019). The prices of some consumer food products have increased, including: rice, fresh fish, beef, eggs, plantain, sweet banana, crude oils, shelled peanuts of the Garoua type, and citrus fruits (lemon, orange). It should be noted that inflationary pressures on imported products are accelerating and those on local products persist. However, inflation remains more internal than external. On the spatial front, inflationary pressures have increased in Bertoua, Buea, Maroua and Garoua. Although still present, they have eased in Ebolowa, Bamenda and Yaoundé. They were almost maintained in Bafoussam, Douala and Ngaoundere. In perspective and under the assumptions of (i) the uninterrupted supply of FMCG markets, (iii) the economic recovery, (iv) and the absence of new lightning waves, or even new variants of Covid-19 in the world and any other major shock, the inflation rate would be kept below 3% in 2021.
