In 2025 Statistical Yearbook: SMEs ministry reveals creation of 16,845 new businesses.

This was during the presentation of the 2025 Statistical Yearbook.  The Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III chaired the event. 

The report outlined the performance of the SME, social economy and handicrafts sectors. The ministry added that the figure pushed the national stock of active SMEs to 472,208 units, up from 443,524 recorded in 2024.

According to the yearbook, the country’s formal productive fabric stood at 569,208 economic units in 2025. SMEs accounted for 83% of the total, while artisan production units represented 12.7% and social economy organisations 4%. 

The document stated that overall, SMEs, social economy organisations and artisan production units made up 99.9% of all formal economic entities in the country. 

The report shows that the number of active SMEs increased by 6.5% over the year, rising from 443,524 in 2024 to 472,208 in 2025. According to MINPMEESA, the growth continues a trend recorded over recent years, with the SME stock expanding from 287,316 units in 2019 to its current level. 

Youth, women increase presence in business creation

The yearbook also points to growing participation by young people and women in entrepreneurship. According to the document, enterprises created by people under the age of 35 represented 42% of all new SMEs in 2025, compared to 36.4% in 2019. It added that the share of businesses created by women increased from 25% to 33% over the same period. 

In the social economy sector, the yearbook discloses that 23,714 organisations were recorded as being affiliated to 236 local social economy networks, including 2,850 new registrations in 2025. 

The handicrafts sector, the document noted, counted 72,508 artisan production units registered through 360 municipal handicraft offices, with 4,753 new registrations recorded during the year. 

According to MINPMEESA, the new SMEs, social economy organisations and artisan production units are projected to generate about 90,000 jobs. 

The ministry explained that SMEs account for 88.4% of the projected employment, while social economy organisations contribute 6.3% and artisan production units 5.3%. 

The report also indicates that 1,194 jobs were created in 2025 by enterprises supported through the Cameroon Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange. 

Speaking during the ceremony, Minister Achille Bassilekin III said further progress would depend on strengthening productive sectors, increasing local transformation of raw materials and reinforcing industrial and agro-industrial value chains.

“The dynamic must intensify and these are priority projects that we have set for ourselves,” the minister stated while outlining future priorities for the sector. 

He also identified the productive transformation of the informal sector and the strengthening of economic governance and statistical information systems among key challenges facing the country’s economic development agenda. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3839 of Monday July 06, 2026