Introduction
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 with France. The export and production of cocoa and foreign investment drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. In December 1999, a military coup overthrew the government. In late 2000, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. In September 2002, Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup 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 March 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 November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French forces. In 2015, OUATTARA won a second term. In October 2020, OUATTARA won a controversial third presidential term, despite a two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution, in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition did participate peacefully in March 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in March 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 June 2021 return to Abidjan. GBAGBO has publicly met with President OUATTARA since his return in June 2021 as a demonstration of political reconciliation. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2025.
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Geography
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 5 00 W
Map references
Africa
Area - comparative
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries
total: 3,458 km
border countries (5): Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 km
Coastline
515 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
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)
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Elevation
highest point: Monts Nimba 1,752 m
lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m
mean elevation: 250 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Land use
agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 32.7% (2018 est.)
other: 2.5% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
730 sq km (2012)
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)
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
Natural hazards
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible
Geography - note
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Ivoirian(s)
adjective: Ivoirian
Ethnic groups
Akan 28.9%, Voltaique or Gur 16.1%, Northern Mande 14.5%, Kru 8.5%, Southern Mande 6.9%, unspecified 0.9%, non-Ivoirian 24.2% (2014 est.)
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.
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: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%)
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.
Age structure
0-14 years: 36.65% (male 5,398,616/female 5,354,973)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 8,935,673/female 8,789,040)
65 years and over: 2.95% (2023 est.) (male 389,248/female 477,297)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 79.2
youth dependency ratio: 74.9
elderly dependency ratio: 4.3
potential support ratio: 19.3 (2021 est.)
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
Urbanization
urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.686 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.6 years (2011/12 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Infant mortality rate
total: 54.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 61.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.65 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 16
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 62.71 years (2023 est.)
male: 60.51 years
female: 64.97 years
comparison ranking: total population 212
Gross reproduction rate
1.71 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
27.8% (2020)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 89.9% of population
rural: 69.1% of population
total: 79.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 10.1% of population
rural: 30.9% of population
total: 20.2% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
3.3% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 77.8% of population
rural: 35% of population
total: 57.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 22.2% of population
rural: 65% of population
total: 42.9% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Côte d'Ivoire is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 133
Tobacco use
total: 9.4% (2020 est.)
male: 17.9% (2020 est.)
female: 0.9% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 136
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
60.3% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 7%
women married by age 18: 27%
men married by age 18: 3.5% (2016 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.9%
male: 93.1%
female: 86.7% (2019)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 10 years (2020)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 5.7% (2021 est.)
male: 4.8%
female: 6.8%
comparison ranking: total 184
Environment
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
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)
Land use
agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 32.7% (2018 est.)
other: 2.5% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 40.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 9.67 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 10.3 megatons (2020 est.)
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.)
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)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
84.14 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast
etymology: name reflects the intense ivory trade that took place in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries
note: pronounced coat-div-whar
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
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
geographic coordinates: 6 49 N, 5 16 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
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
Independence
7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution
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
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
Legal system
civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet KONE (since 19 April 2022); note - Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet KONE appointed by President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA before a Congressional meeting on 19 April 2022
head of government: Prime Minister Robert Beujre MAMBE (since 16 October 2023)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
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 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
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%
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)
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)
election results:
Senate - percent by party NA; seats by party - RHDP 56, PDCI-RDA 6, independent 2, 2 seats unfilled; composition - men 54, women 10, percent of women 15.6%
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - RHDP 49.2%, PDCI-RRA-EDS 16.5%, DPIC 6%, TTB 2.1%, IPF 2%, other seats 24.2%; seats by party - RHDP, 137, PDCI-RRA-EDS 50, DPIC 23, EDS 8, TTB 8, IPF 2, independent 26; composition - men 218, women 36, percent of women 14.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 7.6%
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
Political parties and leaders
African Peoples' Party-Cote d'Ivoire or PPA-CI [Laurent GBAGBO]
Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]
Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Pascal Affi N'GUESSAN]
Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY]
Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA]
Pan-African Congress for People's Justice and Equality or COJEP [Charles BLE GOUDE]
Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alassane Dramane OUATTARA]
Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Henriette DIABATE]
Together for Democracy and Sovereignty or EDS [Georges Armand OUEGNIN]
Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI,and allies) [Toikeuse MABRI]
Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI [Gnamien KONAN]
Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Albert Toikeusse MABRI]
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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahima TOURE (since 13 January 2022)
chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444
email address and website:
info@ambacidc.org
Ambassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jessica Davis BA (since 2 March 2023)
embassy: B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03
mailing address: 2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC 20521-2010
telephone: [225] 27-22-49-40-00
FAX: [225] 27-22-49-43-23
email address and website:
AbjAmCit@state.gov
https://ci.usembassy.gov/
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: 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
National symbol(s)
elephant; national colors: orange, white, green
National anthem
name: "L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)
lyrics/music: Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO
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
total World Heritage Sites: 5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)
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)
Economy
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$146.323 billion (2021 est.)
$136.702 billion (2020 est.)
$134.049 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 79
Real GDP per capita
$5,300 (2021 est.)
$5,100 (2020 est.)
$5,100 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 173
GDP (official exchange rate)
$42.498 billion (2018 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.09% (2021 est.)
2.43% (2020 est.)
-1.11% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 90
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: B+ (2015)
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2015)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 20.1% (2017 est.)
industry: 26.6% (2017 est.)
services: 53.3% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 165; industry 101; agriculture 47
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 61.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.9% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.4% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 30.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -30.1% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
yams, cassava, cocoa, oil palm fruit, sugar cane, rice, plantains, maize, cashew nuts, rubber
Industries
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 68% (2007 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 5.7% (2021 est.)
male: 4.8%
female: 6.8%
comparison ranking: total 184
Population below poverty line
39.5% (2018 est.)
Average household expenditures
on food: 39.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.2%
highest 10%: 31.8% (2008)
Budget
revenues: $8.804 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $10.145 billion (2019 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$1.974 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.349 billion (2019 est.)
-$2.285 billion (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 157
Exports
$13.232 billion (2020 est.)
$13.791 billion (2019 est.)
$13.084 billion (2018 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
comparison ranking: 94
Exports - partners
Netherlands 10%, United States 6%, France 6%, Spain 5%, Malaysia 5%, Switzerland 5%, Germany 5%, Vietnam 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
cocoa products, rubber, gold, cashews, crude petroleum, bananas (2021)
Imports
$12.66 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$12.881 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$13.183 billion (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 104
Imports - partners
China 18%, Nigeria 13%, France 11% (2019)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, rice, frozen fish, refined petroleum, packaged medicines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.257 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.935 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 97
Debt - external
$13.07 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 105
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
554.531 (2021 est.)
575.586 (2020 est.)
585.911 (2019 est.)
555.446 (2018 est.)
580.657 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
population without electricity: 6 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 71.1% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 94.9% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 45.1% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 2.197 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 5,924,320,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 1.178 billion kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 172 million kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.957 billion kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 117; transmission/distribution losses 88; imports 104; exports 57; consumption 118
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 75.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 24.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 33,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 56,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 30,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 69,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 100 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 2.425 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 2.425 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
11.88 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 7.332 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 4.548 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 100
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 265,513 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 115
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 44,561,505 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 162 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 38
Telecommunication systems
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)
domestic: 1 per 100 fixed-line teledensity; mobile subscriptions are 162 per 100 persons (2021)
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)
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 users
total: 12.15 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 45% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 54
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 260,097 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 110
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 779,482 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5.8 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
7
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
20
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
1 (2021)
Pipelines
101 km condensate, 256 km gas, 118 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water, 7 km water (2013)
Railways
total: 660 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso
comparison ranking: total 103
Roadways
total: 81,996 km (2007)
paved: 6,502 km (2007)
unpaved: 75,494 km (2007)
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
comparison ranking: total 60
Waterways
980 km (2011) (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)
comparison ranking: 72
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Abidjan, San-Pedro
oil terminal(s): Espoir Offshore Terminal
Military and Security
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 (2023)
note: the National Gendarmerie is a military force established to ensure public safety, maintain order, enforce laws, and protect institutions, people, and property; it has both territorial and mobile units; the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance is responsible for countering internal threats
Military expenditures
0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 132
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 25,000 active troops (23,000 Army, including about 2,000 Special Forces; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force); 5-10,000 Gendarmerie (2023)
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 limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Bulgaria, China, and France (2023)
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)
Military deployments
650 Mali (MINUSMA) (2023)
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, as well as the Gendarmerie and other security forces, is the growing 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; 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 2020
the FACI’s Land Forces are assigned to regions, and its combat units are organized into approximately 10 battalions, most of which are infantry or security forces, complemented by artillery, armored, and air defense battalions; the separate special forces branch has a commando/paratrooper battalion; the Air Force has a few operational combat helicopters, while the Navy operates a handful of patrol boats and two offshore patrol vessels acquired since 2022; the National Gendarmerie has seven “legions” deployed throughout the country (Abidjan has two assigned legions) and is organized into mobile and territorial forces; 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
Cote 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 (2023)
Space
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) (2023)
Space program overview
has as nascent, small 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 (2023)
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 Appendix S
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)
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 Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana
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
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