The latest International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ICT Development Index (IDI) report highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s remarkable strides in bolstering its digital economy. The country’s IDI score climbed from 69.5 in 2025 to 72 in 2026, marking a robust 4% year-on-year increase.
This upward trajectory reflects the tangible outcomes of sustained investments in digital infrastructure and widespread market adoption. It aligns seamlessly with the nation’s broader development goals, particularly the National Development Plan and the National Digital Development Strategy, both of which prioritize digital transformation and telecom modernization as key drivers of economic growth.
On the African stage, Côte d’Ivoire has cemented its position among the continent’s digital leaders. With an IDI score of 72, the country ranks 15th in Africa, significantly outpacing the continental average of 59 points.
Breaking down Côte d’Ivoire’s digital performance
To grasp the factors behind this success, it’s crucial to examine the two core structural pillars that define the ITU’s evaluation framework:
- Universal connectivity: This pillar assesses foundational digital adoption, including household internet access, individual internet usage, and the number of active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Côte d’Ivoire achieved a score of 64.9 points here, well above Africa’s regional average of 38.1 points.
- Meaningful connectivity: This dimension evaluates operational factors such as mobile network coverage, fixed and mobile data traffic per subscription, device ownership, and the affordability of pricing. Côte d’Ivoire secured a strong score of 79 points, surpassing the African average of 65 points.
Strong infrastructure and affordability fuel progress
The country’s digital backbone is bolstered by extensive mobile broadband coverage. As of the latest data, 3G and 4G/LTE networks blanket 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Affordability remains a cornerstone of this expansion: mobile data and voice plans cost just 1.8% of the national gross income per capita, translating to a financial accessibility index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband plans are slightly higher at 4.8% of the gross income per capita, yielding a financial accessibility index of 87.
Market penetration figures further underscore the nation’s digital momentum. As of the most recent assessments, 73.1% of individuals own a mobile phone, while 70.8% actively use the internet. Additionally, 58.7% of households have home internet access, and active mobile broadband subscriptions have reached 84.1 per 100 inhabitants.
Untapped potential in deep digital usage
Despite these achievements, opportunities for further growth remain. For instance, the average mobile broadband data consumption stands at 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, yielding a traffic score of 51.5 points. Fixed broadband data usage averages 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, with a normalized score of 73.7 points. These figures suggest that while foundational access is now firmly established, deeper digital engagement and high-bandwidth usage hold significant room for improvement.
Africa’s digital leaders: where Côte d’Ivoire stands
Côte d’Ivoire’s IDI score places it among the top 15 digital economies in Africa. The continental ranking is led by Morocco (89.2 points), followed by Mauritius (89.1), Algeria (87.8), South Africa (86.4), and the Seychelles (84.4). The top 10 is rounded out by Tunisia (80.1), Cabo Verde (79.8), Egypt (79.6), Eswatini (78.9), and Botswana (77.7). Closing out the top 15 are Gabon (76.2), Ghana (75.6), Senegal (72.8), Namibia (72.2), and Côte d’Ivoire (72).