Cote d'Ivoire

Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities -- some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom -- originally founded in the 17th century -- tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  <br><br>Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties. Foreign investment and the export and production of cocoa drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. Then in 1999, a military coup overthrew the government, and a year later, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup in 2002 that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. <br><br>In 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. Armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French troops eventually forced GBAGBO to step down in 2011. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and a controversial third term in 2020 -- despite the two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution -- in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition participated peacefully in 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s return to Abidjan the same year. GBAGBO has publicly met with OUATTARA since his return as a demonstration of political reconciliation.

Land

318,003 sq km

Total

322,463 sq km

Water

4,460 sq km

slightly larger than New Mexico

tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

515 km

Africa

Highest point

Monts Nimba 1,752 m

Lowest point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

Mean elevation

250 m

8 00 N, 5 00 W

most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

730 sq km (2012)

Border countries

Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 km

number of neighbors

5

Total

3,458 km

Agricultural land

86.5% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.1% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 29.9% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2023 est.)

arable land

15.1%

Forest

12.4% (2023 est.)

Other

1.1% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

29.86%

No

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Salt water lake(s)

Lagune Aby - 780 sq km

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/wKsmN7f5qAeNtGjP6

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/192779

Africa

Continental shelf

200 nm

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated, with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors, as shown in this population distribution map

Western Africa

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

UTC

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

36.1% (male 5,437,108/female 5,390,782)

15-64 years

60.9% (male 9,200,957/female 9,060,748)

65 years and over

3% (2024 est.) (male 401,967/female 490,196)

Beer

1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

29.87 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Men married by age 18

1.9% (2021)

Women married by age 15

7.4% (2021)

Women married by age 18

25.8% (2021)

23.4%

13.6% (2021 est.)

62.7% (2021 est.)

6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

264 per 1,000

adult male

320 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

4.7 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

21.2 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

72.2 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

67.5 (2025 est.)

improved total

36.45%

Improved: rural

rural: 58% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 72.9% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 86.2% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 42% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 27.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 13.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

17.6% national budget (2024 est.)

3 % of GDP

Akan 38%, Voltaique or Gur 22%, Northern Mande 22%, Kru 9.1%, Southern Mande 8.6%, other 0.3% (2021 est.)

1.9 (2025 est.)

3 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

3.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.41%

Female

45.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

59.5 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

28 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

52.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

Major-language sample(s)

<br>The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

number of languages

1

Female

65.4 years

Male

60.9 years

Total population

63.2 years (2024 est.)

Female

40.3% (2021 est.)

Male

60.2% (2021 est.)

Total population

50% (2021 est.)

231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.686 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2023)

359 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Female

21.2 years

Male

21.2 years

Total

20 years (2025 est.)

19.6 years (2011/12 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Adjective

Ivoirian

Noun

Ivoirian(s)

0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

10.3% (2016)

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Female

15,863,065

Male

15,992,906

Total

31,855,971 (2025 est.)

2.33% (2025 est.)

Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%)

improved total

27.1%

Improved: rural

rural: 41.5% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 64.2% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 84.6% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 58.5% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 35.8% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 15.4% of population (2022 est.)

Female

11 years (2023 est.)

Male

11 years (2023 est.)

Total

11 years (2023 est.)

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Female

0.6% (2025 est.)

Male

14.9% (2025 est.)

Total

7.8% (2025 est.)

3.85 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

measles

75%

12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vall&eacute;e du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan

Etymology

formerly a village named N'Gokro, Yamoussoukro is named after Queen YAMOUSSOU, who ruled during the early 20th century; Abidjan's name may have come from a misunderstanding when a French explorer asked a group of women the name of the village -- thinking it was a question about what they were doing, they replied "t'chan m&rsquo;bi djan," which in the Ebrie language means "I return from cutting leaves," so the explorer recorded the name of the locale as Abidjan

Geographic coordinates

6 49 N, 5 16 W

Name

Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan

Time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship by birth

no

Citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire

Dual citizenship recognized

no

Residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ci.svg

Amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended

History

previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016

alternative spellings

CI, Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, République de Côte d'Ivoire

Conventional long form

Republic of C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire

Conventional short form

C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire

Etymology

name, which means "Ivory Coast" in French, reflects the ivory trade in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries; the French version of the name has been used internationally since 1986, at the country's request

FIFA code

CIV

Former

Ivory Coast

Local long form

R&eacute;publique de C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire

local long form (fra)

République de Côte d'Ivoire

Local short form

Cote d'Ivoire

Note

<strong>note:</strong> pronounced coat-div-whar

Chief of mission

Ambassador Jessica Davis BA (since 2 March 2023)

Email address and website

<br>AbjAmCit@state.gov<br><br>https://ci.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03

FAX

[225] 27-22-49-43-23

Mailing address

2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2010

Telephone

[225] 27-22-49-40-00

Chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Chief of mission

Ambassador Ibrahima TOURE (since 13 January 2022)

Email address and website

<br>info@ambacidc.org<br><br>Ambassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)

FAX

[1] (202) 204-3967

Telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief of state

President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 25 October 2025)

Election results

<em>2025: </em>Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 91.2%, Jean Louis BILLON (DC) 3.1%, Simone Gbagbo (MCG) 2.4%, Ahoua Don MELLO (Ind.) 2.0%, other 1.3% <br><em><br>2020: </em>Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7%

Election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single renewable 5-year term; vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president

Expected date of next election

October 2030

Head of government

Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)

Most recent election date

October 2030

Note

<strong>note:</strong> because President OUATTARA promulgated the new constitution in 2016, he has claimed that the clock is reset on term limits, allowing him to run for up to two additional terms

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of orange (left side), white, and green<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> orange stands for the savannah and fertility, white for peace and unity, green for the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future; design based on France's flag

note

<strong>note:</strong> similar to the flag of Ireland, which is wider and has the colors reversed -- green (left side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (left side), white, and red

The flag of Ivory Coast is composed of three equal vertical bands of orange, white and green.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/ci.svg

presidential republic

7 August 1960 (from France)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)

Judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life

Subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts

civil law system based on the French civil code; Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court reviews legislation

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Parliament (Parlement)

Note

<br><br>

Chamber name

National Assembly (Assembl&eacute;e nationale)

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

December 2025

Most recent election date

3/6/2021 to 6/12/2021

Number of seats

255 (all directly elected)

Parties elected and seats per party

Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) (139); Democratic Party of C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA)-Together for Democracy and Sovereignty (EDS) (49); Democratic Party of C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA) (23); Independents (26); Other (18)

Percentage of women in chamber

13.4%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

Chamber name

Senate (Sénat)

Expected date of next election

September 2028

Most recent election date

9/16/2023

Number of seats

99 (66 indirectly elected; 33 appointed)

Percentage of women in chamber

24.5%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

orange, white, green

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Como&eacute; National Park (n); Historic Grand-Bassam (c); Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (n); Sudanese-style Mosques (c); Ta&iuml; National Park (n)

Total World Heritage Sites

5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

elephant

African Peoples' Party-Cote d'Ivoire or PPA-CI <br>Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI <br>Ivorian Popular Front or FPI <br>Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER <br>Movement of the Future Forces or MFA <br>Pan-African Congress for People's Justice and Equality or COJEP <br>Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP <br>Rally of the Republicans or RDR<br>Together for Democracy and Sovereignty or EDS <br>Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI,and allies) <br>Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI <br>Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

yams, cassava, oil palm fruit, cocoa beans, sugarcane, plantains, rice, rubber, maize, cashews (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

On alcohol and tobacco

3.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

On food

37.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Expenditures

$16.03 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$12.351 billion (2023 est.)

code

XOF

name

West African CFA franc (XOF) [Fr]

$-9,208,027,599

Current account balance 2020

-$1.974 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.874 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$5.394 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$40.56 billion

Debt - external 2023

$26.576 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

one of West Africa&rsquo;s most influential, stable, and rapidly developing economies; poverty declines in urban but increases in rural areas; strong construction sector and increasingly diverse economic portfolio; increasing but manageable public debt; large labor force in agriculture

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

606.345 (2024 est.)

$22.67 billion

Exports 2020

$13.232 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$16.23 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$17.211 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, cocoa beans, rubber, refined petroleum, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Switzerland 17%, Netherlands 9%, Mali 7%, USA 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$3.12 billion

Exports of goods and services

27.6% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

9% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

66% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-27.1% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

24.5% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agriculture

17.9% (2024 est.)

Industry

22.1% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

53.9% (2024 est.)

$86.538 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$2,728

41.5 (2015)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

35.3 (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

$83.63 billion

$2,530

21 % of GDP

Highest 10%

27.8% (2021 est.)

Lowest 10%

3.1% (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$21.98 billion

Imports 2020

$12.66 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$16.191 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$19.948 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

crude petroleum, ships, refined petroleum, fish, rice (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 16%, Nigeria 12%, France 6%, India 5%, USA 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

2.8% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity

3.45%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

12.595 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

13.07 million persons

agriculture

45.37%

industry

14.33%

services

40.3%

37.5% (2021 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2016

47% of GDP (2016 est.)

$244.91 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$190.645 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$202.943 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$215.018 billion (2024 est.)

6.02%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

6.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

6% (2024 est.)

$7,669

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$6,700 (2024 est.)

$1.77 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

13 % of GDP

13 % of GDP

13.2% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

2.32%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

2.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.3% (2024 est.)

Female

4.4% (2024 est.)

Male

3.5% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

3.9% (2024 est.)

Consumption

8.746 billion kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

324 kWh

Exports

971 million kWh (2023 est.)

Imports

222.79 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

2.315 million kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

1.638 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - rural areas

45.3%

Electrification - total population

70.4% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

95%

Biomass and waste

0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

68.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

22.84%

Hydroelectricity

30.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

22.79%

Solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

472 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

8.489 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Consumption

2.474 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Production

2.474 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Proven reserves

28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Crude oil estimated reserves

100 million barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

87,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Total petroleum production

29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

58.2%

per 100 inhabitants

1 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2023 est.)

Total

425,000 (2023 est.)

state-controlled Radiodiffusion T&eacute;l&eacute;vision Ivoirienne (RTI) is made up of 2 radio stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Fr&eacute;quence2) and 2 TV stations (RTI1 and RTI2) with nationwide coverage, broadcasting mainly in French; 178 proximity radio stations, 16 religious radio stations, 5 commercial radio stations, and 5 international radio stations; government now runs radio station UNOCIFM, previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in 2016, 4 media companies were granted licenses: Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI (2019)

.ci

Percent of population

41% (2023 est.)

+225

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2024 est.) less than 1

Total subscriptions

245,000 (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100

172 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

184 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

58.7 million (2024 est.)

passengers carried

716,233 passengers

registered carrier departures

13,609 departures

29 (2025)

TU

Right

1 (2025)

By type

oil tanker 2, other 23

Total

25 (2023)

Key ports

Abidjan, Baobab Marine Terminal, Espoir Marine Terminal, Port Bouet, San Pedro

Large

1

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

5

Small

0

Total ports

5 (2024)

Very small

4

Narrow gauge

660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge

Note

<strong>note:</strong> an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso

Total

660 km (2008)

CI

armored vehicles

tanks

the military (FACI) is responsible for external defense but also has a considerable internal role supporting the National Gendarmerie and other internal security forces; key areas of focus for the FACI are the country's porous international borders and the threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso and Mali; AQIM militants conducted attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020; Côte d’Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020; Cote d'Ivoire has long maintained a close security relationship with France <br><br>the FACI has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country’s political turmoil; it was established in 1960 from home defense units the French colonial government began standing up in 1950 (2025)

Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army, National Navy, Air Force, Special Forces; National Gendarmerie <br><br>Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police (2025)

active duty personnel

27,000

note

<strong>note:</strong> the National Gendarmerie is a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Defense that is responsible for ensuring public safety, maintaining order, enforcing laws, and protecting institutions, people, and property; it is organized into mobile and territorial components; the Mobile Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining and restoring order and is considered the backbone of the country’s domestic security; the Territorial Gendarmerie is responsible for the administrative, judicial, and military police; the Gendarmerie also has separate specialized units for security, intervention (counterterrorism, hostage rescue, etc), VIP protection, and surveillance

percent of total labor force

0.25 %

approximately 25-30,000 active FACI, including Gendarmerie personnel (2025)

180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or secondhand armaments, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; in recent years, it has received small quantities of newer and secondhand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Bulgaria, China, France, Israel, South Africa, and the US (2025)

note

<strong>note:</strong> Cote d'Ivoire was under a partial UN arms embargo from 2004 to 2016

1 % of GDP

current USD

$658,353,218

Military Expenditures 2020

1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

percent of central government expenditure

3.66 %

percent of GDP

0.76 % of GDP

18-26 (up to 35 for healthcare professionals) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription is authorized but reportedly not enforced (2025)

PowerIndex score

2.3884

Refugees

69,176 (2024 est.)

Stateless persons

930,978 (2024 est.)

2023 - hosted an Africa-wide space industry conference; announced plans to acquire and launch first small remote sensing satellite (Yam-Sat- CI 01) <br><br>2024 - began joint project with Tanzania to build a technology-demonstrator cube satellite (TanSat-1)

National Office for Technical Studies and Development (Bureau d'Études Techniques et de Développement or BNETD); Côte d’Ivoire Geographic and Digital Information Center (CIGN) (2025)

note

<strong>note:</strong> in mid-2025, Côte d’Ivoire announced that it would establish the Space Agency of Côte d’Ivoire (ASCI) in 2026 under the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

has a small, nascent program focused on satellite technology and geospatial information systems, as well as exploitation for resource management, environmental challenges, agricultural sector support, and national security; member of the African Space Agency and cooperates bilaterally with member states such as Tanzania (2025)

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)

note

<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

From consumed natural gas

4.639 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

11.641 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

16.28 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

deforestation; water pollution from sewage and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents

Party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Agriculture

192 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Energy

187.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Other

28.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste

199.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

36 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

15 % of total land area

0 % of total

84.14 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

2 % of internal resources

Agricultural

600 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

242 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

320 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

4.441 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

13.3% (2022 est.)