Côte d’Ivoire’s digital economy grows by 4% in global ICT ranking

Côte d’Ivoire climbs four positions in digital development index

The Côte d’Ivoire has made remarkable strides in its digital economy, as evidenced by its performance in the 2026 edition of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) ICT Development Index (IDI). Over the past year, the country elevated its national score from 69.5 points in 2025 to 72 points in 2026, marking a 4% increase that reflects deliberate efforts to expand digital infrastructure and market adoption.

This progress aligns with the country’s broader development goals, particularly the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Digital Strategy, both of which prioritize digital transformation and the modernization of telecommunications infrastructure as key drivers of economic growth.

In the African context, the Côte d’Ivoire has solidified its position among the continent’s digital leaders. With a score of 72 points, the country ranks 15th in Africa and significantly outperforms the continental average of 59 points, underscoring its commitment to bridging the digital divide.

Two pillars drive Côte d’Ivoire’s digital success

The ITU’s evaluation framework is built on two critical pillars. The first, ‘Universal Connectivity’, assesses foundational digital adoption metrics, including household internet access, individual internet usage, and the number of active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. On this measure, the Côte d’Ivoire scored 64.9 points—a substantial lead over Africa’s regional average of 38.1 points.

The second pillar, ‘Meaningful Connectivity’, evaluates operational factors such as mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and the affordability of tariffs. Here, the country achieved an impressive 79 points, surpassing the African average of 65 points.

Robust infrastructure and competitive pricing fuel growth

A key strength lies in the country’s mobile broadband network coverage, with 3G and 4G/LTE networks reaching 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Additionally, mobile data and voice tariffs remain highly affordable, costing just 1.8% of the national gross income (GNI) per capita, translating to 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 index of 87 points.

Market penetration figures further highlight the country’s digital momentum: 73.1% of individuals own a mobile phone, while 70.8% actively use the internet. Furthermore, 58.7% of households have home internet access, and the number of active mobile broadband subscriptions has reached 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.

Opportunities for deeper digital engagement

Despite these achievements, there remains room for improvement in key areas. For instance, average mobile broadband data consumption stands at 32.7 GB per subscription, yielding a traffic score of 51.5 points. Similarly, fixed broadband traffic averages 893.9 GB per subscription, resulting in a normalized score of 73.7 points. While basic access and connectivity are now firmly established, there is significant potential to enhance advanced digital usage and high-bandwidth applications.

Regional digital leaders and Côte d’Ivoire’s standing

On the continent, Morocco leads with an IDI score of 89.2 points, followed closely by Mauritius (89.1 points), Algeria (87.8 points), South Africa (86.4 points), and Seychelles (84.4 points). The Top 10 is completed by Tunisia (80.1 points), Cabo Verde (79.8 points), Egypt (79.6 points), Eswatini (78.9 points), and Botswana (77.7 points). Closing out the Top 15 are Gabon (76.2 points), Ghana (75.6 points), Senegal (72.8 points), Namibia (72.2 points), and the Côte d’Ivoire (72 points).