Ivory Coast climbs 4% in ITU’s digital economy ranking

The Ivory Coast has made remarkable strides in its digital economy, according to the 2026 edition of the ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI). Over the past year, the country has expanded its digital footprint, raising its national score from 69.5 points in 2025 to 72 points in 2026—a 4% increase.

This growth reflects the tangible impact of sustained investments in infrastructure and market adoption. It aligns closely with the strategic priorities outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Digital Development Strategy, both of which position digitalization and telecom modernization as key drivers of economic progress.

Ivory Coast outperforms Africa’s digital average

With a score of 72 points, the Ivory Coast ranks 15th in Africa and significantly exceeds the continental average of 59 points. This performance underscores the country’s commitment to bridging the digital divide while fostering an enabling environment for tech-driven growth.

Key pillars driving Ivory Coast’s digital progress

The ITU’s evaluation framework assesses two critical dimensions:

• Universal connectivity: Measures foundational digital adoption, including household internet access, individual internet usage, and active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. The Ivory Coast scores 64.9 points here, surpassing Africa’s average of 38.1 points.

• Meaningful connectivity: Evaluates network coverage, data traffic (fixed and mobile), device ownership, and affordability of services. On this front, Ivory Coast achieves a strong 79 points, outpacing the regional average of 65 points.

Strong infrastructure and affordable connectivity

The country’s digital backbone is robust, with 98% 3G coverage and 90% 4G/LTE coverage nationwide. Affordability remains a cornerstone of its success:

• Mobile data and voice plans cost just 1.8% of the national gross income per capita, yielding a financial accessibility index of 95.8/100.

• Fixed broadband plans are priced at 4.8% of the national gross income per capita, with a financial accessibility index of 87/100.

Market penetration further highlights Ivory Coast’s progress:

• 73.1% of individuals own a mobile phone.

• 70.8% actively use the internet.

• 58.7% of households have home internet access.

• 84.1 active mobile broadband subscriptions exist per 100 inhabitants.

Opportunities for deeper digital engagement

While Ivory Coast has built a strong foundation, there is room to deepen digital consumption. For instance:

• Mobile broadband data usage averages 32.7 GB per subscription, translating to a traffic score of 51.5/100.

• Fixed broadband consumption stands at 893.9 GB per subscription, yielding a normalized score of 73.7/100.

These figures suggest that while access is widespread, there is untapped potential in high-bandwidth applications and advanced digital services.

Where Ivory Coast stands in Africa’s digital landscape

The continental ranking places Ivory Coast among the top 15, just behind countries like Morocco (89.2 points), Mauritius (89.1 points), Algeria (87.8 points), South Africa (86.4 points), and Seychelles (84.4 points). The Top 10 is rounded out by Tunisia (80.1), Cape Verde (79.8), Egypt (79.6), Eswatini (78.9), and Botswana (77.7). Following closely are Gabon (76.2), Ghana (75.6), Senegal (72.8), Namibia (72.2), and Ivory Coast, which closes the list at 72 points.