Digital progress drives Côte d’Ivoire’s rise in global rankings
The digital economy in Côte d’Ivoire has taken a significant leap forward, with the country’s score in the 2026 ICT Development Index (IDI) climbing from 69.5 points in 2025 to 72 points in 2026—a remarkable 4% increase. This advancement underscores the nation’s commitment to digital transformation and its growing role in Africa’s tech landscape.
The upward trajectory reflects deliberate efforts to modernize infrastructure and expand digital access. These gains align with the country’s National Development Plan (PND) and National Digital Strategy, which prioritize digitalization as a cornerstone of economic growth. By investing in high-speed connectivity and fostering a digital-first economy, Côte d’Ivoire is positioning itself as a leader in West Africa’s technological evolution.
How Côte d’Ivoire outperforms Africa’s digital average
With a score of 72 points, Côte d’Ivoire ranks 15th in Africa, significantly ahead of the continental average of 59 points. This achievement stems from strong performance across two key pillars used to assess digital progress:
- Universal connectivity: This measures foundational digital adoption, including household internet access, individual internet usage, and mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Côte d’Ivoire scored 64.9 points here—well above Africa’s average of 38.1 points.
- Meaningful connectivity: This evaluates operational factors like mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and the affordability of digital services. The country secured 79 points in this category, surpassing the regional average of 65 points.
Key drivers behind Côte d’Ivoire’s digital success
The country’s digital infrastructure has seen major upgrades, with 3G and 4G/LTE networks now covering 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Affordability remains a highlight, as mobile data and voice tariffs account for just 1.8% of gross national income (GNI) per capita—an affordability index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband plans are similarly priced at 4.8% of GNI per capita, translating to an affordability score of 87 points.
The numbers tell a compelling story:
- 73.1% of individuals own a mobile phone.
- 70.8% of the population actively uses the internet.
- 58.7% of households have home internet access.
- Mobile broadband subscriptions stand at 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.
Opportunities for deeper digital engagement
While Côte d’Ivoire has made impressive strides in connectivity, there’s still room for growth in high-bandwidth usage. For instance:
- Mobile broadband data consumption averages 32.7 GB per subscription, yielding a traffic score of 51.5 points.
- Fixed broadband traffic reaches 893.9 GB per subscription, with a normalized score of 73.7 points.
These figures suggest that while basic access is now widespread, there’s untapped potential in encouraging higher data consumption and advanced digital applications across sectors like education, healthcare, and business.
Where Côte d’Ivoire stands in Africa’s digital ranking
The continent’s top performers include:
- Morocco (89.2 points)
- Mauritius (89.1 points)
- Algeria (87.8 points)
- South Africa (86.4 points)
- Seychelles (84.4 points)
The list continues with Tunisia (80.1), Cabo Verde (79.8), Egypt (79.6), Eswatini (78.9), and Botswana (77.7). Côte d’Ivoire shares the 15th position with Senegal (72.8), Namibia (72.2), and Ghana (75.6), rounding out the top tier of Africa’s digital economies.
