Côte d’Ivoire has reached a new milestone in its economic transformation.
According to the 2025 African Industrialization Index published by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the country is now among the ten most industrialized economies in Africa, ranking 9th with a score of 0.6173.
This achievement confirms a steady upward trajectory that has been underway for several years. Over the past fifteen years, Côte d’Ivoire has moved from 14th place in 2010 into Africa’s Top 10, reflecting significant progress in modernizing its productive sector and strengthening its industrial base.
According to the AfDB, this advancement is the result of a structural transformation supported by strong economic growth. Under the 2021–2025 National Development Plan, the country recorded an average annual growth rate of 6.5%. In 2024, the Ivorian economy expanded by 6%, outperforming the average growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.
One of the key drivers behind this success has been the rapid development of the manufacturing sector, a major component of the AfDB’s index. Côte d’Ivoire’s strategy of locally processing raw materials—particularly cocoa and cashew nuts—has enabled the country to generate more added value domestically while enhancing its industrial competitiveness.
As the leading economy of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Côte d’Ivoire accounts for nearly 40% of the Union’s GDP and more than 42% of its exports. Its secondary sector now represents almost one-quarter of national GDP, driven by agribusiness, energy, extractive industries, and construction.
This momentum reinforces the government’s ambition to make industrialization a central pillar of wealth creation and job generation. It also positions Côte d’Ivoire as one of the most attractive and diversified economies in the region.
Challenges remain, however. The AfDB highlights the rise in public debt, which now stands at nearly 60% of GDP, as well as significant regional disparities, with most economic activity still concentrated in Abidjan. The large informal sector—accounting for more than half of the national economy and the majority of jobs—also remains a major challenge.
At the continental level, Morocco tops the ranking, ahead of South Africa. In West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire strengthens its leadership by ranking ahead of Nigeria and Ghana. Together with Senegal, which ranks 10th, it now forms the leading industrial duo in the sub-region.
