01
Physical geography
Mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest.
Local timeYamoussoukro ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 025
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro.
Find Ivory Coast
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- YamoussoukroAbidjan remains a major administrative and economic center.
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Population
- 32.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 322,463 km²124,504 square miles
- Independence
- 1960from France
Ivory Coast in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Yamoussoukro; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include French.
03
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia. Abidjan remains a major administrative and economic center.
Flag
Three equal vertical bands of orange (left side), white, and green
History & independence
Ivory Coast, officially Côte d’Ivoire, became independent from France on 7 August 1960 through decolonization. Later political conflict included civil war beginning in 2002 and a crisis after the disputed 2010 presidential election.
-
Independence from France
-
Civil war begins
-
The post-election crisis ends after armed conflict
Economy
Main activities
Cocoa and cashew production, agriculture-related processing, trade and services are important. Abidjan is a major commercial and transport center. Petroleum and mining add to a diversified export base.
Industry and production
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people32.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5,411,567 | 5.412 |
| 1980 | 8,220,714 | 8.221 |
| 1990 | 12,189,778 | 12.190 |
| 2000 | 17,699,004 | 17.699 |
| 2010 | 22,488,065 | 22.488 |
| 2020 | 28,915,449 | 28.915 |
| 2025 | 32,711,547 | 32.712 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars81.52025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22,747,083,497 | 22.747 |
| 1991 | 22,756,392,780 | 22.756 |
| 1992 | 22,700,739,607 | 22.701 |
| 1993 | 22,657,044,066 | 22.657 |
| 1994 | 22,840,839,521 | 22.841 |
| 1995 | 24,468,419,439 | 24.468 |
| 1996 | 26,359,663,692 | 26.360 |
| 1997 | 28,903,065,479 | 28.903 |
| 1998 | 30,135,465,006 | 30.135 |
| 1999 | 30,487,103,687 | 30.487 |
| 2000 | 30,406,072,178 | 30.406 |
| 2001 | 29,751,121,586 | 29.751 |
| 2002 | 28,938,759,334 | 28.939 |
| 2003 | 27,571,152,176 | 27.571 |
| 2004 | 28,449,303,912 | 28.449 |
| 2005 | 28,732,677,632 | 28.733 |
| 2006 | 29,541,668,753 | 29.542 |
| 2007 | 29,867,049,486 | 29.867 |
| 2008 | 31,295,490,701 | 31.295 |
| 2009 | 32,423,167,867 | 32.423 |
| 2010 | 34,643,522,419 | 34.644 |
| 2011 | 32,783,010,325 | 32.783 |
| 2012 | 35,281,210,701 | 35.281 |
| 2013 | 39,077,544,168 | 39.078 |
| 2014 | 42,739,891,584 | 42.740 |
| 2015 | 45,815,005,169 | 45.815 |
| 2016 | 49,101,205,369 | 49.101 |
| 2017 | 52,739,979,047 | 52.740 |
| 2018 | 55,294,253,264 | 55.294 |
| 2019 | 59,010,785,541 | 59.011 |
| 2020 | 59,423,700,881 | 59.424 |
| 2021 | 63,620,521,822 | 63.621 |
| 2022 | 67,692,161,182 | 67.692 |
| 2023 | 72,159,844,126 | 72.160 |
| 2024 | 76,503,530,924 | 76.504 |
| 2025 | 81,476,260,434 | 81.476 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.582Medium human developmentRank 157 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.389
20000.419
20100.465
20200.553
20230.582
61.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Parliament (Parlement) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Ivory Coast.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which two crops are highlighted in Ivory Coast’s economy?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.