Estimate of Yaoundé GDP: report

Abstract

Urbanization and the growth of cities promote national development by diversifying sources of income, by offering more service options, and by opening prospects favorable to innovation and the acquisition of skills. The promotion of inclusive and more sustainable economic growth therefore presupposes the empowerment of administrative districts in order to ensure faster and broader contextual urban development. This is the reason why the Cameroon political authorities have chosen to implement a decentralized mode of governance. In Cameroon, this decentralization is both administrative and budgetary. The Yaounde city council and the Economic Commission for Africa in partnership with national institutions including the National Institute of Statistics have carried out a pilot study in order to estimate the GDP of the city of Yaoundé. The study found that from 2013 to 20205, Yaoundé's GDP grew at an average growth rate of 2.32%. In addition, Yaoundé's GDP contributed on average to 15% of the national GDP for the period considered. In 2020, Yaoundé's GDP increased by 0.8% to stand at around 3,309 billion FCFA or 14.44% of the national GDP. The report is structured around six main points: background, existing practice of estimating the GDP, detailed approach and methodology, detailed estimate plan, estimation of Yaoundé’s city GDP and conclusion.