Ivorian digital economy gains momentum with 4% jump in global ranking
The Côte d’Ivoire has made significant strides in its digital economy, climbing 4% in the 2026 edition of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) ICT Development Index (IDI). The country’s score rose from 69.5 in 2025 to 72 in 2026, reflecting a year of robust progress in digital infrastructure and market adoption.
This upward trend aligns with the government’s strategic priorities, as outlined in the National Development Plan (PND) and the National Digital Development Strategy. Both frameworks prioritize digitalization and telecom modernization as key drivers of economic growth.
Continental standing: Côte d’Ivoire outpaces African average
The country’s performance places it among Africa’s digital leaders. With a score of 72, Côte d’Ivoire ranks 15th on the continent and significantly surpasses the African average of 59 points.
Key pillars driving digital progress
The ITU’s evaluation framework consists of two critical pillars:
- Universal connectivity: Measures foundational digital access, including household internet adoption, individual internet use, and active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Côte d’Ivoire scored 64.9 here, well above Africa’s average of 38.1.
- Meaningful connectivity: Assesses operational factors like mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and financial accessibility of services. The country achieved a strong score of 79, exceeding the regional average of 65.
The nation’s mobile broadband networks are a standout feature, with 3G and 4G/LTE coverage reaching 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Affordability remains a key competitive advantage, with mobile data and voice plans costing just 1.8% of the gross national income (GNI) per capita—a financial accessibility index of 95.8. Fixed broadband plans are similarly priced at 4.8% of GNI per capita, yielding a financial accessibility score of 87.
Market penetration reflects these gains: 73.1% of individuals own a mobile phone, 70.8% actively use the internet, and 58.7% of households have home internet access. Active mobile broadband subscriptions stand at 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.
Opportunities for deeper digital engagement
While foundational access has improved markedly, deeper digital engagement presents room for growth. Mobile broadband data consumption averages 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, translating to a traffic score of 51.5. Fixed broadband traffic stands at 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, yielding a normalized score of 73.7. These figures suggest untapped potential in high-bandwidth applications and advanced digital use cases.
Regional comparison: Côte d’Ivoire in the top tier
Morocco leads the continent with an IDI score of 89.2, followed closely by Mauritius (89.1), Algeria (87.8), South Africa (86.4), and the Seychelles (84.4). The top 10 also includes Tunisia (80.1), Cabo Verde (79.8), Egypt (79.6), Eswatini (78.9), and Botswana (77.7). Rounding out the top 15 are Gabon (76.2), Ghana (75.6), Senegal (72.8), Namibia (72.2), and Côte d’Ivoire (72).
