2024 Edition Primary

Background

Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities -- some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom -- originally founded in the 17th century -- tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties. Foreign investment and the export and production of cocoa drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. Then in 1999, a military coup overthrew the government, and a year later, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup in 2002 that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. Armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French troops eventually forced GBAGBO to step down in 2011. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and a controversial third term in 2020 -- despite the two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution -- in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition participated peacefully in 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s return to Abidjan the same year. GBAGBO has publicly met with OUATTARA since his return as a demonstration of political reconciliation. 

Area

land

318,003 sq km

total

322,463 sq km

water

4,460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Coastline

515 km

Elevation

highest point

Monts Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

mean elevation

250 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 5 00 W

Geography - note

most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Irrigated land

730 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 km

total

3,458 km

Land use

agricultural land

64.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)

forest

32.7% (2018 est.)

other

2.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lagune Aby - 780 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Population distribution

the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Age structure

0-14 years

36.1% (male 5,437,108/female 5,390,782)

15-64 years

60.9% (male 9,200,957/female 9,060,748)

65 years and over

3% (2024 est.) (male 401,967/female 490,196)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

27.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

3.5% (2016 est.)

women married by age 15

7%

women married by age 18

27%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.8% (2016)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

27.8% (2020)

Current health expenditure

3.3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

60.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Cote d’Ivoire’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future because almost 60% of the populace is younger than 25 as of 2020, the total fertility rate is holding steady at about 3.5 children per woman, and contraceptive use is under 30%. The country will need to improve education, health care, and gender equality in order to turn its large and growing youth cohort into human capital. Even prior to 2010 unrest that shuttered schools for months, access to education was poor, especially for women. The lack of educational attainment contributes to Cote d’Ivoire’s high rates of unskilled labor, adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS prevalence. Following its independence in 1960, Cote d’Ivoire’s stability and the blossoming of its labor-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the country and its neighbors, particularly Burkina Faso. The HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY administration continued the French colonial policy of encouraging labor immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon composed about 25% of the population by 1998. Ongoing economic decline since the 1980s and the power struggle after HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY’s death in 1993 ushered in the politics of "Ivoirite," institutionalizing an Ivoirian identity that further marginalized northern Ivoirians and scapegoated immigrants. The hostile Muslim north-Christian south divide snowballed into a 2002 civil war, pushing tens of thousands of foreign migrants, Liberian refugees, and Ivoirians to flee to war-torn Liberia or other regional countries and more than a million people to be internally displaced. Subsequently, violence following the contested 2010 presidential election prompted some 250,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia and other neighboring countries and again internally displaced as many as a million people. By July 2012, the majority had returned home, but ongoing inter-communal tension and armed conflict continue to force people from their homes.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.3

potential support ratio

19.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

79.2

youth dependency ratio

74.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 69.1% of population

improved: total

total: 79.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 89.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 30.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 20.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 10.1% of population

Education expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Akan 38%, Voltaique or Gur 22%, Northern Mande 22%, Kru 9.1%, Southern Mande 8.6%, other 0.3% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.67 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

45.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

59.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

52.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.4 years

male

60.9 years

total population

63.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

86.7% (2019)

male

93.1%

total population

89.9%

Major urban areas - population

231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.686 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

480 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

21.2 years

male

21.2 years

total

21.2 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Ivoirian

noun

Ivoirian(s)

Net migration rate

1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.3% (2016)

Physician density

0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

14,941,726 (2024 est.)

male

15,040,032

total

29,981,758

Population distribution

the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.13% (2024 est.)

Religions

Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.)

note

note: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 35% of population

improved: total

total: 57.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 77.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 65% of population

unimproved: total

total: 42.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 22.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2020)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.9% (2020 est.)

male

17.9% (2020 est.)

total

9.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.4 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan

Capital

etymology

Yamoussoukro is named after Queen YAMOUSSOU, who ruled in the village of N'Gokro in 1929 at the time of French colonization; the village was renamed Yamoussoukro, the suffix "-kro" meaning "town" in the native Baoule language; Abidjan's name supposedly comes from a misunderstanding; tradition states that an old man carrying branches met a European explorer who asked for the name of the nearest village; the man, not understanding and terrified by this unexpected encounter, fled shouting "min-chan m’bidjan," which in the Ebrie language means: "I return from cutting leaves"; the explorer, thinking that his question had been answered, recorded the name of the locale as Abidjan; a different version has the first colonists asking native women the name of the place and getting a similar response

geographic coordinates

6 49 N, 5 16 W

name

Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative capital); note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative capital as well as the officially designated economic capital; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended; amended 2020

history

previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

conventional short form

Côte d'Ivoire

etymology

name reflects the intense ivory trade that took place in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries

former

Ivory Coast

local long form

République de Côte d'Ivoire

local short form

Cote d'Ivoire

note

note: pronounced coat-div-whar

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Jessica Davis BA (since 2 March 2023)

email address and website

AbjAmCit@state.govhttps://ci.usembassy.gov/

embassy

B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03

FAX

[225] 27-22-49-43-23

mailing address

2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC  20521-2010

telephone

[225] 27-22-49-40-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ibrahima TOURE (since 13 January 2022)

email address and website

info@ambacidc.orgAmbassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)

FAX

[1] (202) 204-3967

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)

election results

2020: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7%2015: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 83.7%, Pascal Affi N'GUESSAN (FPI) 9.3%, Konan Bertin KOUADIO (independent) 3.9%, other 3.1%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term; election last held on 31 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025); vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president; note – because President OUATTARA promulgated the new constitution in 2016, he has claimed that the clock is reset on term limits, allowing him to run for up to two additional terms

head of government

Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future

note

note: similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts

Legal system

civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate or Senat (99 seats; 66 members indirectly elected by the National Assembly and members of municipal, autonomous districts, and regional councils, and 33 members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)National Assembly (255 seats - 254 for 2021-2026 term; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent by party/coalition NA; seats by party/coalition - RHDP 56, PDCI-RDA 6, independent 2, vacant 2; composition - men 73, women 24, percentage women 15.6% (2 seats vacant); note - 33 members appointed - RHDP 25, independent 8 National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - RHDP 49.2%, PDCI-RRA-EDS 16.5%, DPIC 6%, TTB 2.1%, IPF 2%, other 24.2%; seats by party/coalition - RHDP, 137, PDCI-RRA-EDS 50, DPIC 23, EDS 8, TTB 8, IPF 2, independent 26, vacant 1; composition - men 220, women 34, percentage women 13.4%; note - total Parliament percentage women 16.5%

elections

Senate - last held on 16 September 2023 (next to be held in September 2028)National Assembly - last held on 6 March 2021 (next to be held on 31 March 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO

name

"L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)

note

note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Comoé National Park (n); Historic Grand-Bassam (c); Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (n); Sudanese-style Mosques (c); Taï National Park (n)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

elephant; national colors: orange, white, green

Political parties

African Peoples' Party-Cote d'Ivoire or PPA-CI Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI Ivorian Popular Front or FPI Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER Movement of the Future Forces or MFA Pan-African Congress for People's Justice and Equality or COJEP Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP Rally of the Republicans or RDRTogether for Democracy and Sovereignty or EDS Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI,and allies) Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

yams, cassava, oil palm fruit, cocoa beans, sugarcane, plantains, rice, rubber, maize, cashews (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

38.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$13.255 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$9.755 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B+ (2015)

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2015)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$1.974 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.874 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$5.394 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$23.623 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

one of West Africa’s most influential, stable, and rapidly developing economies; poverty declines in urban but increases in rural areas; strong construction sector and increasingly diverse economic portfolio; increasing but manageable public debt; large labor force in agriculture

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$13.232 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$16.23 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$17.211 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cocoa beans, gold, rubber, refined petroleum, cocoa paste (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Switzerland 9%, Mali 8%, Netherlands 8%, US 6%, France 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

22.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

10.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

67.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-26.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.4% (2023 est.)

industry

24.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

54.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$78.789 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

35.3 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.8% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3.1% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2020

$12.66 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$16.191 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$19.948 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, ships, rice, fish (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 18%, Nigeria 11%, France 8%, India 5%, Belgium 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

9.06% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.09% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.28% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.39% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

10.954 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

37.5% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

47% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$179.178 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$190.319 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$202.758 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.06% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.22% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

6.54% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$6,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$7,000 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.48% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.57% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$4.935 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$6.257 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

11.94% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

2.59% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

2.43% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.4% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

4.9% (2023 est.)

male

3.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

4% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

4.942 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

7.79 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

12.733 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

500 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

8.744 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

901.596 million kWh (2022 est.)

imports

297 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.282 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.778 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

45.3%

electrification - total population

70.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

95%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

68.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

30.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

7.733 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.635 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

2.635 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

100 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

60,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

260,097 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-controlled Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirieinne (RTI) is made up of 2 radio stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Frequence2) and 2 television stations (RTI1 and RTI2), with nationwide coverage, broadcasts mainly in French; after 2011 post-electoral crisis, President OUATTARA's administration reopened RTI Bouake', the broadcaster's office in Cote d'Ivoire's 2nd largest city, where facilities were destroyed during the 2002 rebellion; Cote d'Ivoire is also home to 178 proximity radio stations, 16 religious radio stations, 5 commercial radio stations, and 5 international radios stations, according to the Haute Autorite' de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA); govt now runs radio UNOCIFM, a radio station previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in Dec 2016, the govt announced 4 companies had been granted licenses to operate -Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI, out of the 4 companies only one has started operating (2019)

Internet country code

.ci

Internet users

percent of population

45% (2021 est.)

total

12.15 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

1 per 100 fixed-line teledensity; mobile subscriptions are 162 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

in recent years the government of Ivory Coast has helped develop a competitive telecom sector focused on the provision of converged services, thus allowing operators to offer fixed-line and mobile services under a universal services license regime; the fixed internet and broadband sectors remain underdeveloped; this is a legacy of poor international connectivity, which resulted in high wholesale prices, limited bandwidth, and a lack of access for alternative operators to international infrastructure; these limitations were addressed following the landing of a second cable in November 2011; Orange Group has also launched its 20,000km Djoliba cable system, reaching across eight countries in the region, while the 2Africa submarine cable is being developed by a consortium of companies; with a landing station providing connectivity to Côte d'Ivoire, the system is expected to be completed in late 2023 (2022)

international

country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE, MainOne, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

263,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

174 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

49.006 million (2022 est.)

Airports

29 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TU

Heliports

1 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

oil tanker 2, other 23

total

25 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

5.8 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

779,482 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

10

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

101 km condensate, 256 km gas, 118 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water, 7 km water (2013)

Ports

key ports

Abidjan, Baobab Marine Terminal, Espoir Marine Terminal, Port Bouet, San Pedro

large

1

ports with oil terminals

5

total ports

5 (2024)

very small

4

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge

note

note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso

total

660 km (2008)

Roadways

note

note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable

paved

6,502 km

total

81,996 km

unpaved

75,494 km (2007)

Waterways

980 km (2011) (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)

Military - note

the military (FACI) was established in 1960 from home defense units the French colonial government began standing up in 1950; the FACI has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country’s political turmoil; it is responsible for external defense but also has a considerable internal role supporting the National Gendarmerie and other internal security forces; the operational focus of the FACI is the threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso and Mali; AQIM militants conducted significant attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020; Côte d’Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020Cote d’Ivoire has close security ties with France, which maintains a military presence; the UN had a 9,000-strong peacekeeping force in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) from 2004 until 2017 (2024)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army (Land Force), National Navy, Air Force, Special Forces; National Gendarmerie (under the Ministry of Defense)Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police, Coordination Center for Operational Decisions (a mix of police, gendarmerie, and FACI personnel for assisting police in providing security in some large cities), Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (2024)

note

note: the National Gendarmerie is a military force established to ensure public safety, maintain order, enforce laws, and protect institutions, people, and property; it is organized into "legions" and has both territorial and mobile units; the Mobile Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining and restoring order and is considered the backbone of the country’s domestic security; the Territorial Gendarmerie is responsible for the administrative, judicial, and military police; the Gendarmerie also has separate specialized units for security, intervention (counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), VIP protection, and surveillance; the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance is responsible for countering internal threats

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 20-25,000 active FACI troops; approximately 5,000 Gendarmerie (2024)

Military deployments

180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or second-hand equipment, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; Cote d'Ivoire was under a partial UN arms embargo from 2004 to 2016; in recent years it has received some new and second-hand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Bulgaria, China, France, South Africa, and Turkey (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women; conscription is reportedly not enforced (2023)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

302,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2022)

stateless persons

930,578 (2022); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers in Cote d'Ivoire; in September 2020, Cote d'Ivoire adopted Africa's first statelessness determination procedure to regularize the status of stateless people

Space agency/agencies

announced in 2021 that it was in the process of establishing a national space agency (space issues currently managed by the Ministry of Scientific Research) (2024)

Space program overview

has as small, nascent program focused on acquiring a remote sensing (RS) satellite for purposes detecting illegal gold mining, facilitating access to drinking water, mapping deforestation, and national security issues (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Terrorist group(s)

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

9.67 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

10.3 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

40.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Environment - current issues

deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage, and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

64.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)

forest

32.7% (2018 est.)

other

2.5% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lagune Aby - 780 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

2.04% of GDP (2016 est.)

Total renewable water resources

84.14 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,440,814 tons (2010 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

133,224 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

3% (2005 est.)