Côte d’Ivoire climbs 4% in global digital economy index
The Côte d’Ivoire has made remarkable strides in the digital economy, as reflected in the 2026 edition of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) ICT Development Index (IDI). Over the past year, the country enhanced its digital footprint, pushing its national score from 69.5 in 2025 to 72 in 2026—a 4% increase.
This progress underscores the tangible results of sustained investments in infrastructure and market adoption. It aligns perfectly with the nation’s strategic priorities outlined in the National Development Plan (PND) and the National Digital Development Strategy, both of which prioritize digital transformation and telecom infrastructure modernization as key drivers of economic growth.
Côte d’Ivoire outpaces Africa’s digital average
With a score of 72 points, Côte d’Ivoire has secured the 15th position on the African continent, significantly outperforming the regional average of 59 points. This achievement highlights the country’s commitment to narrowing the digital divide while fostering inclusive technological advancement.
Key pillars behind the 2026 performance
The ITU’s evaluation framework rests on two critical pillars. The first, ‘Universal Connectivity’, assesses foundational digital adoption metrics, including household internet access, individual internet use, and active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Here, Côte d’Ivoire scored 64.9 points—far exceeding Africa’s average of 38.1 points.
The second pillar, ‘Meaningful Connectivity’, measures operational factors such as mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and financial affordability of services. Côte d’Ivoire achieved a strong score of 79 points on this measure, outperforming the African regional average of 65 points.
Infrastructure and affordability drive digital growth
The country’s digital success is anchored in robust infrastructure and cost-effective services. High-speed mobile networks—3G and 4G/LTE—now reach 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Additionally, retail prices for mobile data and voice plans remain highly accessible, accounting for just 1.8% of the national gross income per capita. This affordability translates to a financial accessibility index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband plans are priced at 4.8% of gross income per capita, yielding an affordability index of 87 points.
Market penetration is equally impressive: 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 now stand at 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.
Opportunities for deeper digital engagement
While these metrics reflect strong foundational progress, there are still avenues for improvement. Average mobile broadband data consumption is 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, scoring 51.5 points—a sign that deeper digital usage remains a work in progress. Similarly, fixed broadband data traffic averages 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, yielding a normalized score of 73.7 points. These figures suggest that while basic access is well-established, there is significant potential to enhance high-bandwidth consumption and advanced digital applications.
Where Côte d’Ivoire stands in Africa’s digital landscape
On the continent, the digital economy rankings are led by Morocco (89.2 points), 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), Cape Verde (79.8 points), Egypt (79.6 points), Eswatini (78.9 points), and Botswana (77.7 points). Following this elite group are Gabon (76.2 points), Ghana (75.6 points), Senegal (72.8 points), Namibia (72.2 points), and Côte d’Ivoire (72 points), which closes out the top 15.
Anselme Akéko