Cameroon’s diamond production more than doubled in 2025. Data released on January 23, 2026, in Yaoundé by the National Permanent Secretariat of the Kimberley Process show output reached 15,382.37 carats, up from 6,219.8 carats in 2024.
Despite this sharp rise in production, export revenues remained almost unchanged. According to the Kimberley Process secretariat, Cameroon earned close to CFA110 million from diamond exports in 2025, compared with about CFA120 million a year earlier.
As in previous years, official export earnings did not reflect the country’s production potential. Large volumes of diamonds are still believed to be sold outside formal channels, through smuggling networks.
The scale of the gap is illustrated by past data. In 2019, the Kimberley Process secretariat reported official exports of 654 carats, while at the same time stating that it had been able to trace total national production of more than 1,595 carats during the year.
The missing volumes, close to 950 carats, are widely believed to have been diverted into informal export channels. This risk is heightened by the near absence of local diamond processing in Cameroon, which limits traceability and encourages illicit trade.
BRM
