By Professor Amath Ndiaye, FASEG-UCAD.
According to the 2025 estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Central African countries using the Franc CFA occupy the top positions in the regional ranking of nominal GDP per capita.
Ranking of the main economies of Central Africa in 2025 according to GDP per capita (USD):
- Gabon: 8,219
- Equatorial Guinea: 6,745
- São Tomé and Príncipe: 3,245
- Republic of the Congo: 2,600
- Cameroon: 2,200
- Angola: 2,100
- Chad: 1,000
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 871
- Central African Republic: 579
- Burundi: 478
Weighted average income: CFA countries vs non-CFA countries
By weighting GDP per capita by the population of each country, the following orders of magnitude are obtained:
- GDP per capita of CEMAC countries (Franc CFA): ≈ 2,085 dollars;
- GDP per capita of non-CFA countries in Central Africa: ≈ 1,129 dollars.
A significant difference
The weighted average income of countries using the Franc CFA is approximately 85% higher than that of non-CFA countries in the sub-region.
In other words, despite all the criticisms directed at the Franc CFA, the populations of CEMAC countries have, on average, a significantly higher income per capita than observed in neighboring countries not using this currency.
What the facts show
Although Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo benefit from significant oil resources, the central observation remains unchanged: the Franc CFA has not prevented them from achieving the highest levels of income per capita in the region.
Angola, which is by far the largest oil producer in the sub-region, is not the highest ranked.
Cameroon, the most diversified economy in CEMAC, also ranks among the best-positioned countries.
An appeal for objectivity
As in West Africa, criticisms of the Franc CFA would benefit from examining the data more rigorously, instead of confining themselves to essentially political-ideological discourses.
In economics, it is the observable results – growth, inflation, macroeconomic stability, and standard of living – that should guide the analysis.
Conclusion
The 2025 IMF ranking shows that in Central Africa, countries using the Franc CFA not only dominate the GDP per capita ranking but also display a significantly higher weighted average income than non-CFA countries.
The Franc CFA does not explain these performances alone, but the facts clearly show that it has not been an obstacle to economic development. The debate deserves to be conducted with objectivity, based on data rather than slogans.
