Source
Central bank

Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)

International Reserves

N/A

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 5.4 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 14 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
5.9% 5.7% 5.6% 4.4% 4.7%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 670.3 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 1,745.6 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total

0.01% (2019 estimate)

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 23.6% 
  • industry: 16.6% 
  • services: 29.1%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
1.8% 0.9% -0.2% 0.9% 3.8%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate

N/A

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
72.1% 81.4% 76% 76.2% 72.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-8.8% -9.5% -0.3% -0.8% -2.7%

*Estimate  

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

Market value of publicly traded shares

N/A

Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -0.3 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-4.9% (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

31.5% (2018)

 

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.01% (2018)

 

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.009% (2018)

Total exports

USD 1.7 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Total imports

USD 2.6 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Exports - major partners

Benin 16.7%, Burkina Faso 15.2%, Niger 8.9%, India 7.3%, Mali 6.7%, Ghana 5.5%, Cote dIvoire 5.4%, Nigeria 4.1% (2017)

Imports - major partners

China 27.5%, France 9.1%, Netherlands 4.4%, Japan 4.3% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD -46 million USD 88 million USD 102 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 257 million USD -32 million USD 259 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 97 out of 190 countries (2019)

Subcategories:

Starting a Business: 15 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 127 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 99 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 56 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 48 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 120 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 174 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 131 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 140 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 88 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 158 / Score: 50.3 (Mostly unfree) (2019)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC 0

Total area

56,785 sq km

Capital

Lome

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

French (official, 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)

Religions

Christian 43.7%, folk 35.6%, Muslim 14%, none 6.2%, Hindu <.1%, Buddhist <.1%, Jewish <.1% (2010 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
3.79 million 4.97 million 6.5 million 7.42 million 8.4 million

*Estimate 

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
10.1% 24.7% 32.9% 41.7%
Population median age

19.9 years (2019 estimate)

Population growth rate

2.61% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

65.8 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 63.7%
Male: 77.3%
Female: 51.2% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

73.2% (2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

43.1 (2015)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 4 (2019)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 0.5%   Mobile 77.9% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

12.36% (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Lome: 145th (2019)

CO2 emissions

0.37 (2014)

World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

World's Best Subcustodian Banks

World's Best Banks By Region

World's Best Banks

2012

Best of…

Additional Awards