Ivory coast digital economy scores high in global it index

The Ivory Coast has marked a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey, as revealed in the 2026 edition of the ICT Development Index (IDI) published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Over the past year, the country elevated its digital footprint, boosting its national score from 69.5 in 2025 to 72 in 2026—a remarkable 4% increase.

This advancement underscores the tangible results of sustained investments in digital infrastructure and market adoption. It aligns seamlessly with the Ivory Coast’s strategic development plans, including the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Digital Development Strategy, both of which prioritize digital economy growth and telecom infrastructure modernization as key drivers of progress.

Strong continental standing

Within Africa’s digital landscape, the Ivory Coast continues to solidify its position among the continent’s leaders. With a score of 72 points, the country ranks 15th on the continent, outpacing the African average of 59 points by a significant margin.

Key pillars behind the progress

The ITU’s evaluation framework is built on two foundational pillars. 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—far exceeding the African average 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 the affordability of services. The Ivory Coast achieves a strong score of 79 points on this measure, surpassing the regional African average of 65 points.

The country’s mobile broadband coverage stands out as a major strength, with 3G and 4G/LTE networks reaching 98% and 90% of the population, respectively. Data and voice service tariffs remain highly affordable, accounting for just 1.8% of the national gross income per capita—a financial accessibility index of 95.8 out of 100. Fixed broadband package prices are similarly competitive, representing 4.8% of the national gross income per capita, yielding an accessibility index of 87 points.

Market penetration is also impressive: 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.

Opportunities for deeper digital engagement

Despite these achievements, certain performance indicators highlight areas where further investment and usage expansion could drive even greater impact. For instance, mobile data consumption averages 32.7 gigabytes per subscription, translating to a traffic score of 51.5 points. Fixed broadband traffic averages 893.9 gigabytes per subscription, resulting in a normalized score of 73.7 points. While foundational connectivity is now firmly established, there remains substantial potential for deeper digital engagement and higher bandwidth utilization.

Regional digital leaders

Looking across the continent, Morocco leads 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 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). Rounding 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).