UEMOA maintains solid growth amid rising inflation concerns

Despite this strong performance, the Central Bank of West African States BCEAO highlights potential inflationary pressures in its monthly economic outlook published on August 17, 2026. While inflation remains contained for now, geopolitical tensions, the lean season, and distribution challenges in insecure areas could lead to increased prices in the coming months. The BCEAO notes a slight slowdown in global economic activity, with the US private sector strengthening, the Eurozone stabilizing, China experiencing a minor growth deceleration, and South Africa's economy beginning to recover.

Commodity prices show mixed trends, with a 1.6% decrease in imported food prices for UEMOA countries and a 4.8% decline in exported raw material prices. Internally, economic activity remained well-oriented in May 2026. Inflation in UEMOA stood at 0.8% in June 2026, a 0.4 percentage point increase from the previous month, with projections indicating a progressive acceleration to +1.1% in July and +1.3% in August 2026.

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the lean season, and insecurity-related disruptions to food distribution chains are identified as key factors that could impact prices. The BCEAO recorded a GDP growth of 6.0% in the second quarter of 2026, following 6.1% in the preceding quarter, indi