People and Society of Cote d'Ivoire

Nationality

Ivoirian(s)

Ethnic Groups

Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)

Population

27,053,000

Population in Major Urban Areas

ABIDJAN (seat of government) 4.288 million; YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) 966,000

Abidjan has privately-run medical and dental facilities that are adequate, but do not fully meet U.S. standards. Good physician specialists can be found, although few speak English. While pharmacies are well-stocked with medications produced in Europe, newer drugs may not be available. If you plan a lengthy trip to Côte d’Ivoire, you should bring enough medication to last the entire stay, not just a prescription, in your carry-on luggage. Medical care outside of Abidjan is extremely limited. Malaria is a serious health problem in Côte d’Ivoire. All of the following antimalarial drugs are effective options for preventing malaria in Côte d'Ivoire: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. Note: Chloroquine is NOT an effective antimalarial drug in Côte d'Ivoire and should not be taken to prevent malaria in this region. Remember to start malaria prophylaxis treatment prior to arriving in country. Bring enough medications with you for the duration of your stay since you might not readily find the medications locally. For more information on malaria, including protective measures, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site. Dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), and African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) are other diseases carried by insects that also occur in Côte d’Ivoire. Protecting yourself against insect bites will help to prevent these diseases. There are yearly cholera outbreaks. The risk of contracting acute watery diarrhea or cholera can be significantly reduced by drinking purified water, bleaching produce, and eating meat and seafood that are thoroughly cooked and hot. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in Côte d’Ivoire. For further information, please consult the CDC's information on TB.

Life Expectancy at Birth

Life expectancy at birth in Cote d'Ivoire stands at approximately 59 to 60 years overall, with women typically outliving men by a modest margin — women averaging around 61 years and men around 58 years. These figures place the country below the sub-Saharan African regional average and significantly below the global average of roughly 73 years. Several interconnected factors contribute to this relatively low life expectancy. The country continues to face significant challenges in healthcare access, particularly in rural and interior regions where medical facilities and trained personnel remain scarce. Infectious diseases represent a major burden on public health, with malaria being one of the leading causes of illness and death, especially among children under five. HIV/AIDS also remains a concern, though prevalence rates have declined over recent decades due to expanded prevention and treatment programs. Maternal and child mortality rates have a strong influence on overall life expectancy figures. Cote d'Ivoire has made incremental progress in reducing infant mortality, yet rates remain high compared to global standards, pulling down average life expectancy calculations. Malnutrition, limited access to clean drinking water, and inadequate sanitation infrastructure in many communities compound these challenges. The country experienced periods of political instability and civil conflict, most notably in the early 2000s and again around 2010–2011, which disrupted healthcare services, displaced populations, and strained public health infrastructure. Recovery efforts since the resolution of that second conflict have brought measurable improvements, and gradual gains in life expectancy have been recorded over the past two decades. Economic growth driven largely by cocoa and coffee exports — Cote d'Ivoire is the world's leading cocoa producer — has generated government revenue that has been partially directed toward expanding healthcare services. Urban centers such as Abidjan benefit from relatively better medical infrastructure, creating a notable disparity in health outcomes between urban and rural populations. Despite ongoing challenges, the trend line for life expectancy in Cote d'Ivoire has moved gradually upward over the long term, reflecting slow but measurable improvements in child survival rates, disease management, and broader access to basic health services. Continued investment in public health infrastructure and maternal care programs will be critical to sustaining and accelerating these gains in the years ahead.

Infant Mortality Rate

Côte d'Ivoire continues to face significant challenges related to infant mortality, though the country has made measurable progress over recent decades. The infant mortality rate stands at approximately 56 to 60 deaths per 1,000 live births, meaning that roughly one in every 17 to 18 infants born in the country does not survive to their first birthday. This figure remains considerably higher than the global average of around 27 deaths per 1,000 live births, and well above the averages seen in higher-income nations. The leading causes of infant death in Côte d'Ivoire include malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, neonatal complications such as birth asphyxia and infections, and malnutrition. These conditions are often preventable or treatable with adequate healthcare infrastructure and resources, highlighting the role that systemic poverty and limited access to quality medical services play in sustaining high mortality rates. Geographic and socioeconomic disparities are stark. Infants born in rural areas face significantly greater risks than those born in urban centers like Abidjan, where healthcare facilities are more accessible. Children from the poorest households are disproportionately affected, as their families often lack access to skilled birth attendants, vaccinations, clean water, and nutritious food. Despite these challenges, Côte d'Ivoire has achieved meaningful reductions in infant mortality over the past two to three decades. In the early 1990s, the infant mortality rate was estimated at well over 100 deaths per 1,000 live births, meaning the rate has been cut roughly in half through sustained public health efforts, increased immunization coverage, improvements in maternal care, and international development support. UNICEF and the World Health Organization have been active partners in efforts to reduce infant deaths through programs targeting malaria prevention, oral rehydration therapy, nutritional supplementation, and expanded vaccination campaigns. The government has also worked to increase the proportion of births attended by trained health professionals, which directly reduces neonatal mortality risk. Continued investment in primary healthcare, maternal education, and rural health infrastructure will be essential if Côte d'Ivoire is to meet internationally recognized child survival benchmarks in the coming years.

Major Infectious Diseases

very high

Literacy Definition

Age 15 and over can read and write

Learning

The normal school routine begins by a daily assembly where announcements are passed on to the children before they disperse to their various classrooms. The normal school day begins at 8:00 a.m. and goes on until 3:30 p.m. with a lunch break of about one hour. The official language of communication in school is French and the lessons take between 35 and 40 minutes. When it comes to mid morning break children freshening up and they have to share a few pit latrines in the compound. It is also time to catch up and play games. In most cases there are no balls and other playing facilities so children learn to improvise and play different games in their own groups. At lunch hour there are some schools, who offer hot lunches for the kids and where that is not available children will take water or simply play without eating lunch. In most areas in Cote d’Ivoire there is rampant poverty and there is no place where that is reflected better than the state of school buildings. In some cases the school could be a single building with one teacher that has to prepare all the children for most of the primary school. Most of the buildings are basically walls without roofs, doors or windows, which have been destroyed or looted during the civil war that has been going on in the country. Over crowding is the norm with the population in a single classroom sometimes as much as 100 children for a single teacher. There are some areas where they do not have trained teachers because they all have fled so any person with some form of formal education is allowed to teach. In a typical class, pupils sit at broken desks under a collapsing ceiling while the teacher copies the day’s lesson from the only tattered textbook. Primary school education is meant to be compulsory from the age of 6 to 11 but many children do not attend preprimary education. Classes are organized into three – two year cycles namely preparatory stages I and II (CP1 and CP2, or Cours préparatoires de première et deuxième année), elementary levels I and II (CE1 and CE2 or cours élémentaires de première et deuxième année), and intermediary levels I and II (CM1 and CM2 or cours moyens de première et deuxième année).

To School

The journey to the nearest school is also another walk since there is no school transport especially in rural villages. Since most schools may be far away the children do not waste time at home after coming from the water pump. The trek may be anything like 3 to 5 miles before they arrive in school ready for classes which begin at 8:00 a.m.

• Muslim37.0%
• indigenous30.0%
• Christian25.0%
• Other8.0%

French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

• French

Crime Information

Crime continues to be a major public security concern in Côte d’Ivoire. Armed carjackings, robberies of businesses, and home invasions occur regularly, targeting residents, including expatriates, who are perceived as wealthy. U.S. citizens, either visiting or residing in Côte d’Ivoire, are strongly encouraged to remain alert and aware of their surroundings to prevent becoming a victim of crime. The general guidance for travel to Côte d’Ivoire is exercise the same prudence and caution that you would in any metropolitan area in the United States. Common sense steps include refraining from displaying jewelry and other valuables and carrying limited amounts of cash and only photocopies of key documents. In addition, home and car doors should be locked at all times. When moving about the city, stay in well-lit areas and walk confidently at a steady pace on the side of the street facing traffic close to the curb. Avoid crowds, mass transit, alleys, and sparsely populated areas. Take caution when walking past concealed areas such as doorways and bushes. Whenever possible, travel in pairs or small groups. If you go out at night and need transportation, orange taxis are metered, although no safer than any other taxis. There have been reports of muggings and robbery scams even in metered taxis. Always carry identification and be discreet about your transactions, especially on the street. Normal spending habits of Westerners may appear extravagant to Ivoirians. U.S. citizens have been economic targets. There have been few reported cases of sexual assault against foreigners, but there are no available statistics or other reliable reporting on this issue. Be particularly alert when visiting Abidjan’s Treichville, Marcory, Koumassi, Yopougon, and Abobo districts. Popular neighborhoods for nighttime entertainment, such as Zone 4, Treichville, and Plateau, often attract crime. When traveling outside of Abidjan, you should avoid traveling after dark and be aware that rogue police, security forces, and criminals often use vehicular checkpoints to extort money from drivers and passengers. If you must travel after dark, use extreme caution. U.S. citizens who are stopped by police/security forces are urged to be polite and cooperate. If you are ticketed, you should ask the officer for a receipt for any items confiscated by the police, such as a driver’s license or other identification. Drivers issued a ticket should note, however, that it is legal to pay the police officer money by the side of the road, but the amount paid should not exceed the amount printed on the ticket itself. The fees generally range from 500 CFA to 2,000 CFA (approximately one to four U.S. dollars). U.S. citizens detained by the police should ask that the U.S. Embassy be notified immediately at 225 2249-4000/4450. Contact information for local authorities includes: Abidjan Police Prefecture /Emergency Number: 225- 20-22-16-33/16-87 and 225- 20-21-00-70 Ministry of Interior and Security: 225-20-25-20-03 Credit card use in Côte d’Ivoire is limited, particularly outside Abidjan, and credit card fraud is an increasing problem. Business fraud is common and the perpetrators often target foreigners. Schemes previously associated with Nigeria are now prevalent in Côte d’Ivoire, and pose a risk of grave financial loss. Typically these scams begin with unsolicited communication (usually by e-mail) from strangers who promise quick financial gain, often by transferring large sums of money or valuables out of the country, but then require a series of "advance fees" to be paid, such as fees for legal documents or taxes. A common variation is the scammer’s claim to be a refugee or émigré of a prominent West African family, who needs assistance transferring large sums of cash. Another common scam involves alleged victims of a serious accident or injury in need of money for life-saving medical care. Still other variations appear to be legitimate business deals that require advance payments on contracts or large purchases of merchandise using fraudulent credit cards. Sometimes victims are convinced to provide bank account and credit card information, and authorize financial transactions that drain their accounts, causing them to incur large debts. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of advance-fee fraud is common sense, if a proposition looks too good to be true it probably is a scam, particularly if you have never met the correspondent. You should carefully check and research any unsolicited business proposal before committing funds, providing goods or services, or undertaking travel. A good clue to a scam is the phone number given to the victim; legitimate businesses and offices provide fixed line numbers, while scams typically use only cellular (cell) phones. In Côte d’Ivoire, most cell phone numbers start with 44, 45, 46, 48, 58, 60, 66, or 67. It is virtually impossible to recover money lost through these scams. For additional information, please consult the Department of State's brochure on international financial scams. Do not buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them, you may also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While traveling in Côte d'Ivoire, 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. It is illegal to take pictures of certain sensitive installations, including military sites, government buildings such as radio and television stations, the Presidency building, the airport, and the DeGaulle and Houphouet-Boigny bridges in Abidjan. In some places, driving under the influence could 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. For example, if you buy pirated goods you can be prosecuted under U.S. law. 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 Côte d'Ivoire, your U.S. citizenship will not help you avoid arrest or prosecution. Persons violating Ivoirian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Côte d'Ivoire are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, if you are arrested in Côte d'Ivoire, you may request that police, prison officials, and other authorities alert the U.S. embassy of your arrest. You may also ask that they forward communications to the U.S. embassy on your behalf.