Ivory Coast climbs in global digital economy ranking

Ivory Coast’s digital economy gains momentum with 4% rise in ITU index

Ivory Coast has made significant strides in strengthening its digital economy, as reflected in the latest ICT Development Index (IDI) report released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 2026. The country’s score improved from 69.5 in 2025 to 72 in 2026—a notable jump of nearly 4%.

This upward trend underscores the effectiveness of sustained investments in digital infrastructure and market-driven adoption strategies. It aligns closely with the country’s ambitious National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Digital Development Strategy, which prioritize digital transformation and modernizing telecom networks as key drivers of economic growth.

The latest ranking places Ivory Coast at the 15th position among African nations with a score of 72, outperforming the continent’s average of 59 points. This achievement highlights the country’s progress in building a robust digital ecosystem.

Two pillars driving Ivory Coast’s digital success

The ITU’s evaluation framework assesses digital progress through two critical components. The first, ‘Universal Connectivity’, measures foundational digital adoption, including household internet access, individual internet usage, and the number of active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Ivory Coast scored 64.9 points in this category, far exceeding Africa’s average of 38.1 points.

The second component, ‘Meaningful Connectivity’, evaluates operational factors such as mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and the affordability of digital services. Here, Ivory Coast secured a strong 79 points, outperforming the regional average of 65 points.

Mobile broadband coverage and affordability boost digital access

Ivory Coast’s digital infrastructure stands out with 3G and 4G/LTE networks covering 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. The affordability of mobile data and voice services remains a key advantage, with retail prices representing just 1.8% of the gross national income (GNI) per capita—a financial accessibility index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband plans are similarly priced at 4.8% of GNI per capita, yielding an accessibility score of 87 points.

Market penetration metrics also reflect strong adoption: 73.1% of individuals own mobile phones, 70.8% actively use the internet, and 58.7% of households have home internet access. Additionally, there are 84.1 active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.

Opportunities for deeper digital engagement

While Ivory Coast has made impressive progress in connectivity and access, certain performance indicators reveal room for further growth. For instance, mobile data consumption averages 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, translating to a traffic score of 51.5 points. Fixed broadband traffic stands at 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, with a normalized score of 73.7 points. These figures suggest that while basic access is well-established, there is still untapped potential in advanced digital usage and high-bandwidth applications.

Where Ivory Coast stands in Africa’s digital landscape

On the continental stage, Ivory Coast ranks 15th among African economies in the 2026 ITU IDI report. The top performers include Morocco (89.2 points), Mauritius (89.1 points), Algeria (87.8 points), South Africa (86.4 points), and the Seychelles (84.4 points). The rankings continue with Tunisia (80.1 points), Cape Verde (79.8 points), Egypt (79.6 points), Eswatini (78.9 points), and Botswana (77.7 points). Rounding out the top 15 are Gabon (76.2 points), Ghana (75.6 points), Senegal (72.8 points), Namibia (72.2 points), and Ivory Coast (72 points).