In 2023, Côte d’Ivoire’s electricity supply totaled about 11.1 TWh. Fossil fuels provided more than two-thirds, or 7.7 TWh, almost entirely from gas. Low-carbon sources supplied almost a third, or 3.5 TWh, with hydropower accounting for nearly all of that clean electricity. Electricity consumption was just 357 kWh per person—less than one-tenth of the global average of 3,794 kWh per person. Such low electricity availability can constrain industrial development, healthcare, education and household living standards, making increased generation and wider access important priorities.

Is Electricity Growing in Côte d’Ivoire?

The latest figures show a disappointing setback rather than growth in electricity consumption per person. The 2023 level of 357 kWh per person was 58 kWh, or about 14%, below the previous record of 415 kWh in 2022. Low-carbon electricity generation per person was also far below its historical peak: at 111 kWh, it was about 44% below the 199 kWh recorded in 1981. These per-person figures do not establish whether total generation declined, but they clearly show that electricity availability per person—and especially clean electricity generation per person—needs renewed growth.

Suggestions

Côte d’Ivoire should expand solar electricity alongside its hydropower base and consider developing nuclear electricity as part of its longer-term clean electricity strategy. South Africa offers a relevant African example, generating 20 TWh from solar, 12 TWh from wind and 12 TWh from nuclear in the supplied comparison. Other useful lessons come from tropical developing economies: Brazil generated 88 TWh from solar and 110 TWh from wind, while India produced 205 TWh from solar and 54 TWh from nuclear. Côte d’Ivoire could draw on these experiences through competitive solar procurement, stronger electricity networks, workforce training and international nuclear partnerships. Exploring suitable wind resources would add another option. Expanding this low-carbon mix would support electrification and growing electricity demand while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

The supplied history shows that Côte d’Ivoire’s low-carbon electricity growth has largely depended on fluctuating hydropower output. In the early 1980s, a 0.4 TWh increase in 1981 was followed by combined declines of 1.3 TWh in 1983–1984, before a 0.9 TWh rebound in 1985. The 1990s brought alternating losses and gains, including a 0.6 TWh increase in 1995 and a 0.4 TWh recovery in 1999. Modest gains during the late 2000s were interrupted by a 0.5 TWh decline in 2010, followed by further uneven changes through 2015. A more encouraging expansion came in 2017–2019, when annual increases totaled 1.9 TWh. Output then fell by 0.7 TWh in 2021 and recovered by the same amount in 2022. This uneven history reinforces the value of adding solar and nuclear generation to build sustained growth in clean electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade