Ivory Coast climbs 4% in global digital economy ranking

The Ivory Coast has made remarkable strides in its digital economy, as evidenced by the 2026 edition of the ICT Development Index (IDI) released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Over the past year, the country expanded its digital footprint, boosting its national score from 69.5 points in 2025 to 72 points in 2026—a gain of nearly 4%.

This upward trajectory reflects the tangible results of sustained investments in digital infrastructure and market adoption. It aligns seamlessly with the Ivory Coast’s strategic priorities, outlined in both the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Digital Development Strategy, which position digitalization and telecom modernization as key drivers of economic growth.

Côte d’Ivoire’s continental standing

On the African stage, the Ivory Coast is cementing its position among the continent’s digital leaders. With a score of 72 points, the country ranks 15th in Africa, significantly outpacing the continental average of 59 points.

To grasp the foundations of this achievement, it’s worth examining the two structural pillars that define the ITU’s evaluation framework. The first, Universal Connectivity, assesses foundational digital adoption metrics such as household internet access, individual internet usage, and active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Here, the Ivory Coast scores 64.9 points—well above Africa’s regional benchmark of 38.1 points.

The second pillar, Meaningful Connectivity, evaluates operational factors including mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and financial accessibility of tariffs. The Ivory Coast excels in this category as well, securing a robust 79 points, surpassing the African average of 65 points.

Key digital infrastructure milestones

The country’s digital progress is anchored in robust infrastructure. Mobile broadband networks—specifically 3G and 4G/LTE—now blanket 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Additionally, retail prices for mobile data and voice plans remain highly affordable, accounting for just 1.8% of gross national income (GNI) per capita, yielding a financial accessibility index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband plans, meanwhile, are priced at 4.8% of GNI per capita, translating to an accessibility index of 87 points.

Market penetration figures further underscore the Ivory Coast’s digital momentum. 73.1% of individuals now own a mobile phone, while 70.8% actively use the internet. 58.7% of households have home internet access, and active mobile broadband subscriptions have reached 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.

Room for deeper digital engagement

Despite these gains, certain performance indicators highlight opportunities for further investment and usage expansion. For instance, average mobile broadband data consumption stands at 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, translating to a traffic score of 51.5 points. Similarly, fixed broadband traffic averages 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, resulting in a normalized score of 73.7 points. While basic connectivity and access are now firmly entrenched, deeper digital consumption and high-bandwidth usage remain areas ripe for growth.

Looking across the region, Morocco leads Africa 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 the Seychelles (84.4 points). The continental 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 Ivory Coast (72 points).