The Côte d'Ivoire Makes Significant Gains in Digital Economy

According to the 2026 edition of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Index of Digital Development, the Côte d'Ivoire has made notable progress in the digital economy. The country’s score increased by approximately 4% from 69.5 points in 2025 to 72 points in 2026.

Key Factors Behind the Progress

• Continued investments in infrastructure and adoption by the market have driven the growth.
• The country’s strategic plans, including the National Development Plan (PND) and the National Digital Development Strategy, have played a crucial role in promoting digitalization.

The Côte d'Ivoire has consolidated its position among African countries, ranking 15th with a score of 72 points, surpassing the regional average of 59 points.

Connectivity and Access

The country’s connectivity and access to digital technologies have improved significantly. The ‘Connectivité universelle’ component evaluates basic adoption of digital technologies, including internet access, individual usage, and mobile high-speed internet subscriptions for every 100 people. The Côte d'Ivoire achieved a score of 64.9 points in this category, exceeding the regional average of 38.1 points.

Significant Indicators

• The country’s mobile network coverage and data traffic have increased substantially.
• The access to high-speed internet has improved significantly.

The Côte d'Ivoire’s mobile network coverage is excellent, with 98% of the population covered by 3G networks and 90% by 4G/LTE networks. The country’s data prices are also very competitive, representing only 1.8% of the national income per capita.

Market Penetration

The Côte d'Ivoire has made significant progress in mobile penetration and internet usage. 73.1% of the population owns a mobile phone, and 70.8% uses the internet actively. Additionally, 58.7% of households have access to internet at home.

Room for Growth

Despite these achievements, there is still room for growth in terms of capital allocation and deepening usage of digital technologies.

Average Scores Among African Countries

• The Maroc leads the continent with a score of 89.2 points, followed by the Île Maurice (89.1 points), l'Algérie (87.8 points), and the Afrique du Sud (86.4 points).