Kinshasa, April 15th, 2026 (CPA) – Bank deposits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recorded an overall decline of 1.63%, amounting to a total of USD 16,647.93 million in February compared to USD 16,923.54 million in January 2026, according to the Central Bank of Congo’s economic outlook note consulted on Wednesday by CPA. “In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the outstanding stock of bank deposits stood at USD 16,647.93 million in February 2026, compared to USD 16,923.54 million in January 2026, marking a month-on-month decrease of 1.63%,” the report stated. According to the source, this situation is mainly attributable to the decline in deposits from private companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). On an annual basis, however, total bank deposits recorded an increase of 2.5% compared to the end of December 2025, the source added.
The report indicated that, as of the end of February 2026, deposits in local currency and foreign currencies declined by 2.73% and 1.47% respectively. The savings structure remains largely dollarized, with foreign currencies accounting for 87.75% of total deposits.
Deposits in local currency (Congolese franc)
Sample of Congolese francs
According to the report, in February 2026, the share of deposits in local currency recorded a slight slowdown, standing at 12.26% compared to 12.39% as of January 31, 2026, representing a decrease of 0.26%. The structure of bank deposits remained largely dominated by households and private enterprises during the same period, accounting respectively for 35.4% and 33.1% of total outstanding deposits, the source noted. Furthermore, the report indicated that gross outstanding loans stood at USD 10,361.42 million at the end of February 2026, marking a monthly decline of 0.87% compared to January 2026. This situation is mainly due to the contraction of financial support to local public administration (13.2%), central government (6.6%), public enterprises (4.4%), and other institutional sectors (15%).
Trends in prices of selected food products
Partial view of food products
According to the source, prices of rice, wheat and maize stood at USD 247.0, USD 219.9 and USD 166.3 per ton respectively. Compared to March 26th, 2026, the price of rice increased by 1.7%. As for wheat and maize, their prices declined by 1.1% and 2.9% respectively. The decrease in maize prices is mainly explained by abundant supply following good harvests in major producing countries, the report noted. Compared to the end of 2025, prices of rice, wheat and maize increased by 13.1%, 18.1% and 2.6% respectively. On a year-on-year basis, prices of rice and maize declined by 17.2% and 1.0% respectively, while that of wheat rose by 11.9%. ACP/