{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

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. 

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.

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. 

" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "8 00 N, 5 00 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "322,463 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "318,003 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "4,460 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly larger than New Mexico" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "3,458 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "515 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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)" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Monts Nimba 1,752 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Gulf of Guinea 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "250 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "64.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "32.7% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "2.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "730 sq km (2012)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Lagune Aby - 780 sq km" } }, "Major watersheds (area sq km)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "29,981,758" }, "male": { "text": "15,040,032" }, "female": { "text": "14,941,726 (2024 est.)" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Ivoirian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Ivoirian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Akan 38%, Voltaique or Gur 22%, Northern Mande 22%, Kru 9.1%, Southern Mande 8.6%, other 0.3% (2021 est.)" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." } }, "Religions": { "text": "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": "note: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%)" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "

Cote d’Ivoire’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future because almost 60% of the populace is younger than 25 as of 2020, the total fertility rate is holding steady at about 3.5 children per woman, and contraceptive use is under 30%. The country will need to improve education, health care, and gender equality in order to turn its large and growing youth cohort into human capital. Even prior to 2010 unrest that shuttered schools for months, access to education was poor, especially for women. The lack of educational attainment contributes to Cote d’Ivoire’s high rates of unskilled labor, adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS prevalence.

Following its independence in 1960, Cote d’Ivoire’s stability and the blossoming of its labor-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the country and its neighbors, particularly Burkina Faso. The HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY administration continued the French colonial policy of encouraging labor immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon composed about 25% of the population by 1998.

Ongoing economic decline since the 1980s and the power struggle after HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY’s death in 1993 ushered in the politics of \"Ivoirite,\" institutionalizing an Ivoirian identity that further marginalized northern Ivoirians and scapegoated immigrants. The hostile Muslim north-Christian south divide snowballed into a 2002 civil war, pushing tens of thousands of foreign migrants, Liberian refugees, and Ivoirians to flee to war-torn Liberia or other regional countries and more than a million people to be internally displaced. Subsequently, violence following the contested 2010 presidential election prompted some 250,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia and other neighboring countries and again internally displaced as many as a million people. By July 2012, the majority had returned home, but ongoing inter-communal tension and armed conflict continue to force people from their homes.

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "36.1% (male 5,437,108/female 5,390,782)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "60.9% (male 9,200,957/female 9,060,748)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3% (2024 est.) (male 401,967/female 490,196)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "79.2" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "74.9" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "4.3" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "19.3 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "21.2 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "21.2 years" }, "female": { "text": "21.2 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.13% (2024 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "27.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "53.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.686 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1.02 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.82 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.6 years (2011/12 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "480 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "52.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "59.5 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "45.2 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "63.2 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "60.9 years" }, "female": { "text": "65.4 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "3.4 children born/woman (2024 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "1.67 (2024 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "27.8% (2020)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 89.9% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 69.1% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 79.8% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 10.1% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 30.9% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 20.2% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "3.3% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physician density": { "text": "0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2019)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 77.8% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 35% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 57.1% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 22.2% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 65% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 42.9% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "10.3% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "9.4% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "17.9% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "0.9% (2020 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "12.8% (2016)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "60.3% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 15": { "text": "7%" }, "women married by age 18": { "text": "27%" }, "men married by age 18": { "text": "3.5% (2016 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "89.9%" }, "male": { "text": "93.1%" }, "female": { "text": "86.7% (2019)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "11 years" }, "male": { "text": "11 years" }, "female": { "text": "10 years (2020)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage, and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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)" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "64.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "32.7% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "2.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "53.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "2.04% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "40.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "9.67 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "10.3 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "4,440,814 tons (2010 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "133,224 tons (2005 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "3% (2005 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Lagune Aby - 780 sq km" } }, "Major watersheds (area sq km)": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)" }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "84.14 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Republic of Côte d'Ivoire" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Côte d'Ivoire" }, "local long form": { "text": "République de Côte d'Ivoire" }, "local short form": { "text": "Cote d'Ivoire" }, "former": { "text": "Ivory Coast" }, "etymology": { "text": "name reflects the intense ivory trade that took place in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries" }, "note": "note: pronounced coat-div-whar" }, "Government type": { "text": "presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "6 49 N, 5 16 W" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "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’bi djan,\" which in the Ebrie language means \"I return from cutting leaves,\" so the explorer recorded the name of the locale as Abidjan" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan" }, "Independence": { "text": "7 August 1960 (from France)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 7 August (1960)" }, "Legal system": { "text": "civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "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" }, "amendments": { "text": "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; amended 2020" } }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "5 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term; election last held on 31 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025); vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president; note – 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" }, "election results": { "text": "
2020: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7%

2015: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 83.7%, Pascal Affi N'GUESSAN (FPI) 9.3%, Konan Bertin KOUADIO (independent) 3.9%, other 3.1%" } }, "Legislative branch": { "legislature name": { "text": "Parliament (Parlement)" }, "legislative structure": { "text": "bicameral" }, "note": "

" }, "Legislative branch - lower chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "255 (all directly elected)" }, "electoral system": { "text": "plurality/majority" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "3/6/2021 to 6/12/2021" }, "parties elected and seats per party": { "text": "Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) (139); Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA)-Together for Democracy and Sovereignty (EDS) (49); Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA) (23); Independents (26); Other (18)" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "13.4%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "March 2026" } }, "Legislative branch - upper chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Senate (Sénat)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "99 (66 indirectly elected; 33 appointed)" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "9/16/2023" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "24.5%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "September 2028" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": "Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts" } }, "Political parties": { "text": "African Peoples' Party-Cote d'Ivoire or PPA-CI 
Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI 
Ivorian Popular Front or FPI 
Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER 
Movement of the Future Forces or MFA 
Pan-African Congress for People's Justice and Equality or COJEP 
Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP 
Rally of the Republicans or RDR
Together for Democracy and Sovereignty or EDS 
Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI,and allies) 
Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI 
Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "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" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Ibrahima TOURE (since 13 January 2022)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 797-0300" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 204-3967" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
info@ambacidc.org

Ambassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Jessica Davis BA (since 2 March 2023)" }, "embassy": { "text": "B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03" }, "mailing address": { "text": "2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC  20521-2010" }, "telephone": { "text": "[225] 27-22-49-40-00" }, "FAX": { "text": "[225] 27-22-49-43-23" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
AbjAmCit@state.gov

https://ci.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future", "note": "note: similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France" }, "National symbol(s)": { "text": "elephant; national colors: orange, white, green" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"L'Abidjanaise\" (Song of Abidjan)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO" }, "note": "note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital" }, "National heritage": { "total World Heritage Sites": { "text": "5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)" }, "selected World Heritage Site locales": { "text": "Comoé National Park (n); Historic Grand-Bassam (c); Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (n); Sudanese-style Mosques (c); Taï National Park (n)" } } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "one of West Africa’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" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": { "text": "$202.119 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { "text": "$190.319 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$179.178 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2023": { "text": "6.2% (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2022": { "text": "6.22% (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "7.06% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2023": { "text": "$6,500 (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2022": { "text": "$6,300 (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$6,000 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$78.875 billion (2023 est.)", "note": "note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023": { "text": "4.39% (2023 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022": { "text": "5.28% (2022 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "4.09% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual % change based on consumer prices" }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B+ (2015)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Ba3 (2015)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "14.4% (2023 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "23.9% (2023 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "54.6% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data" }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "64.9% (2023 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "10.5% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "27.8% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.3% (2023 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "24.5% (2023 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-28.1% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "yams, cassava, oil palm fruit, cocoa beans, sugarcane, plantains, rice, rubber, maize, cashews (2022)", "note": "note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage" }, "Industries": { "text": "foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "6.1% (2023 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Labor force": { "text": "11.793 million (2023 est.)", "note": "note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2023": { "text": "2.4% (2023 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2022": { "text": "2.43% (2022 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "2.59% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force seeking employment" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "4% (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "3.3% (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "4.9% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "37.5% (2021 est.)", "note": "note: % of population with income below national poverty line" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021": { "text": "35.3 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality" }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "37.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "3.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "3.1% (2021 est.)" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "27.8% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population" }, "Remittances": { "Remittances 2023": { "text": "1.32% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Remittances 2022": { "text": "1.48% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Remittances 2021": { "text": "0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities" }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$9.755 billion (2022 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$13.255 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "47% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "11.94% (of GDP) (2022 est.)", "note": "note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2022": { "text": "-$5.394 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "-$2.874 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2020": { "text": "-$1.974 billion (2020 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars" }, "Exports": { "Exports 2022": { "text": "$17.211 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Exports 2021": { "text": "$16.23 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Exports 2020": { "text": "$13.232 billion (2020 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Switzerland 9%, Mali 8%, Netherlands 8%, US 6%, France 5% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "cocoa beans, gold, rubber, refined petroleum, cocoa paste (2022)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2022": { "text": "$19.948 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Imports 2021": { "text": "$16.191 billion (2021 est.)" }, "Imports 2020": { "text": "$12.66 billion (2020 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 18%, Nigeria 11%, France 8%, India 5%, Belgium 4% (2022)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, refined petroleum, ships, rice, fish (2022)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$6.257 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$4.935 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2023": { "text": "$27.931 billion (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: present value of external debt in current US dollars" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2023": { "text": "606.57 (2023 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2022": { "text": "623.76 (2022 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "554.531 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "575.586 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "585.911 (2019 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "70.4% (2022 est.)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "95%" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "45.3%" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "2.282 million kW (2022 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "8.744 billion kWh (2022 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "901.596 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "297 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "1.778 billion kWh (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "68.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "30.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "imports": { "text": "500 metric tons (2022 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "60,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "100 million barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "2.635 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "2.635 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "12.733 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "7.79 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "4.942 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": { "text": "7.733 million Btu/person (2022 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "244,000 (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1 (2023 est.) less than 1" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "53.6 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "174 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "in recent years the government of Ivory Coast has helped develop a competitive telecom sector focused on the provision of converged services, thus allowing operators to offer fixed-line and mobile services under a universal services license regime; the fixed internet and broadband sectors remain underdeveloped; this is a legacy of poor international connectivity, which resulted in high wholesale prices, limited bandwidth, and a lack of access for alternative operators to international infrastructure; these limitations were addressed following the landing of a second cable in November 2011; Orange Group has also launched its 20,000km Djoliba cable system, reaching across eight countries in the region, while the 2Africa submarine cable is being developed by a consortium of companies; with a landing station providing connectivity to Côte d'Ivoire, the system is expected to be completed in late 2023 (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "1 per 100 fixed-line teledensity; mobile subscriptions are 162 per 100 persons (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE, MainOne, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-controlled Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirieinne (RTI) is made up of 2 radio stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Frequence2) and 2 television stations (RTI1 and RTI2), with nationwide coverage, broadcasts mainly in French; after 2011 post-electoral crisis, President OUATTARA's administration reopened RTI Bouake', the broadcaster's office in Cote d'Ivoire's 2nd largest city, where facilities were destroyed during the 2002 rebellion; Cote d'Ivoire is also home to 178 proximity radio stations, 16 religious radio stations, 5 commercial radio stations, and 5 international radios stations, according to the Haute Autorite' de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA); govt now runs radio UNOCIFM, a radio station previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in Dec 2016, the govt announced 4 companies had been granted licenses to operate -Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI, out of the 4 companies only one has started operating (2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".ci" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "38% (2022 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "425,000 (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1 (2023 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "10" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "779,482 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "5.8 million (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "TU" }, "Airports": { "text": "29 (2024)" }, "Heliports": { "text": "1 (2024)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "101 km condensate, 256 km gas, 118 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water, 7 km water (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "660 km (2008)" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge" }, "note": "note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "81,996 km" }, "paved": { "text": "6,502 km" }, "unpaved": { "text": "75,494 km (2007)" }, "note": "note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable" }, "Waterways": { "text": "980 km (2011) (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "25 (2023)" }, "by type": { "text": "oil tanker 2, other 23" } }, "Ports": { "total ports": { "text": "5 (2024)" }, "large": { "text": "1" }, "medium": { "text": "0" }, "small": { "text": "0" }, "very small": { "text": "4" }, "ports with oil terminals": { "text": "5" }, "key ports": { "text": "Abidjan, Baobab Marine Terminal, Espoir Marine Terminal, Port Bouet, San Pedro" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army (Land Force), National Navy, Air Force, Special Forces; National Gendarmerie (under the Ministry of Defense)

Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police, Coordination Center for Operational Decisions (a mix of police, gendarmerie, and FACI personnel for assisting police in providing security in some large cities), Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (2024)", "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is a military force established to ensure public safety, maintain order, enforce laws, and protect institutions, people, and property; it is organized into \"legions\" and has both territorial and mobile units; 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; the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance is responsible for countering internal threats" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2023": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2019 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 20-25,000 active FACI troops; approximately 5,000 Gendarmerie (2024)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or second-hand equipment, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; Cote d'Ivoire was under a partial UN arms embargo from 2004 to 2016; in recent years it has received some new and second-hand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Bulgaria, China, France, South Africa, and Turkey (2024)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women; conscription is reportedly not enforced (2023)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the military (FACI) was established in 1960 from home defense units the French colonial government began standing up in 1950; 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 is responsible for external defense but also has a considerable internal role supporting the National Gendarmerie and other internal security forces; the operational focus of the FACI is 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 significant 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 close security ties with France, which maintains a military presence; the UN had a 9,000-strong peacekeeping force in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) from 2004 until 2017 (2024)" } }, "Space": { "Space agency/agencies": { "text": "announced in 2021 that it was in the process of establishing a national space agency (space issues currently managed by the Ministry of Scientific Research) (2024)" }, "Space program overview": { "text": "has as small, nascent program focused on acquiring a remote sensing (RS) satellite for purposes detecting illegal gold mining, facilitating access to drinking water, mapping deforestation, and national security issues (2024)", "note": "note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)", "note": "note: 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" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { "text": "302,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "930,578 (2022); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers in Cote d'Ivoire; in September 2020, Cote d'Ivoire adopted Africa's first statelessness determination procedure to regularize the status of stateless people" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center" } } }