Togo Demographics

What is the population of Togo?

Population	8,608,444
Population - note	note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Population Growth Rate	2.73%
Urban Population	38%
Population in Major Urban Areas	LOME (capital) 1.524 million
Nationality Noun	Togolese (singular and plural)
Nationality Adjective	Togolese
Ethnic Groups	native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
Languages Spoken	French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Togo Health Information

What are the health conditions in Togo?

Animal Contact Disease (s)	rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49	15.2%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	7.6
Diseases - note	highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved	40.3%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved	40%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved	91.4%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s)	bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP	8%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	3.2%
HIV/Aids Deaths	7,200
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population	.7
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births	41.33
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births	55.03
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births	48.28
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk	very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births	300
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth	20
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	4.3%
People Living with HIV/AIDS	120,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population	.05
Respiratory disease (s)	meningococcal meningitis
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved	88.7%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved	25.5%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved	2.5%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman	4.58
Underweight - percent of children under five years	16.5%
Vectorborne Disease (s)	malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
Water contact disease (s)	schistosomiasis

Togo Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Togo?

Life Expectancy at Birth	63 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female	66 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male	61 Years
Median Age	19 Years
Median Age - female	19 Years
Median Age - male	19 Years

Togo Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Togo median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population	35
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	7.6
Median Age	19 Years
Median Age - female	19 Years
Median Age - male	19 Years
Population Growth Rate	2.73%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female	1
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female	.99
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female	.98
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female	1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female	.98
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female	.77

Togo Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Togo?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in Togo are limited and of very poor quality; emergency medical care is inadequate. Availability of medications through local pharmacies is unreliable, and travelers should carry all necessary medications, properly labeled, with them. Malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease, is prevalent in Togo.

Togo Education

What is school like in Togo?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP	4.5%
Literacy - female	46.9%
Literacy - male	75.4%
Literacy - total population	60.9%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)	12 Years

Togo Literacy

Can people in Togo read?

Literacy - female	46.9%
Literacy - male	75.4%
Literacy - total population	60.9%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language	French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Togo Crime

Is Togo a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

In recent years, Togo has seen high levels of violent crime throughout the country. Incidents have included machete attacks as well as firearms-related crimes. You should avoid certain areas within Lomé during the hours of darkness, including public beaches, the beach road, and the Ghana-Togo border areas. You should avoid beaches where no security is provided, even during daylight hours, as purse-snatchings and muggings occur regularly. We recommend that you not visit the Grand Marché area alone during the day and avoid the area altogether in the evenings.

Pick-pocketing incidents and theft are common in Togo, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lomé. Residential and business burglaries are becoming frequent in Lomé. Foreigners are less commonly targeted in incidents of carjacking, but have been the victims of violent crime in the past. Theft while riding in taxis is common, as thieves steal bags, wallets, and passports. Don’t share taxicabs with strangers.

You should closely monitor their surroundings when using ATMs because of petty theft during and after ATM usage. You should only use ATMs during the day and choose ATMs with lots of people and guards around if possible.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, you may also be breaking local law.

Buying or using drugs may result in an indefinite period of detention. Illicit drugs, particularly marijuana, cocaine, and some pharmaceuticals, are regularly seized by drug enforcement entities.

Internet Financial Scams: Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including U.S. citizens. Formerly associated with Nigeria, these fraud schemes are now prevalent throughout western Africa, including Togo, and pose dangers of both financial loss and physical harm. An increasing number of U.S. citizens have been targets of such scams, resulting in the loss of considerable money on these scams, ranging from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Typically, these scam operations begin with an unsolicited communication, usually by e-mail, from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often by assisting in the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country. As a general rule, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Common e-mail scams have been sent by individuals claiming to be a U.S. citizen who is “trapped” in Togo and needs financial assistance to return to the United States or receive urgent medical care. More sophisticated scams include targeting U.S. businesses and ordering a large amount of their product, if the U.S. business will provide banking information or pay legal fees. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of fraud is to use common sense. Do not wire or transfer money to anyone you’ve never met in person. You should carefully check out any unsolicited business proposals originating in Togo before you commit any funds, provide any goods or services, or undertake any travel. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a U.S. citizen in trouble, ask him/her to call the Embassy directly at (228) 22 61 54 70.

Please check the Embassy website for the most current information on fraud in Togo.

Togo Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Togo, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. Photographing subjects affiliated with the government of Togo, including official government buildings, border crossings, checkpoints, police stations, military bases, utility buildings, airports, government vehicles, and government or military personnel, is strictly prohibited, and local authorities will confiscate film and cameras. Government buildings are not always clearly identifiable, as they vary from being very well marked to not being marked at all.

In some places, driving under the influence can land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Togo, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Persons violating Togolese laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Togo are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

Togo Population Comparison

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