2023 How Many People Still Live In Poverty In Ivory Coast: Expert Tell You

A Brief Overview of Poverty in Ivory Coast

Over 40% of Ivorians live below the poverty line of $1.90 per day with limited access to basic services like healthcare,education and clean water[^1]. Ivory Coast has one of the highest poverty rates in West Africa despite relatively high economic growth.

[^1]: The World Bank. Poverty and Inequality in Cote d’Ivoire.2017
More comprehensive information and care guidelines can be read here.

ivory coast, children, people walking on the street — *Photo by* *Fons Heijnsbroek* / *Unsplash*

Factors Contributing to High Poverty Rates in Ivory Coast

Several factors have contributed to the persistently high poverty rates in Ivory Coast.

One major contributor is the high population growth rate of over 3%[^1]. This outpaces economic growth and job creation, making it difficult to reduce poverty.

Limited job opportunities are another issue. Even though Ivory Coast has seen strong GDP growth, this growth has not translated into enough jobs. The services sector accounts for nearly 70% of GDP but employs less than 20% of workers.

Poor infrastructure, especially in rural areas, hampers economic activity and access to markets. Only 24% of rural residents have access to electricity and road networks are limited.

Frequent political instability has also set back economic progress and poverty reduction efforts. The country suffered a civil war from 2002 to 2007 and coup attempts as recently as 2012.

Corruption is widespread and reduces government effectiveness. Ivory Coast ranked 105th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index in 2020.

Factors	Details
High population growth	Over 3% annually
Limited job growth	Services drive GDP but employ few workers
Poor infrastructure	Low rural electrification, poor roads
Political instability	Civil war, coup attempts
Corruption	Reduces effectiveness of government programs

[^1]: World Bank. Population growth (annual %) – Ivory Coast. 2020

ivory coast, children, boy climbing up on tree — *Photo by* *Annie Spratt* / *Unsplash*

Efforts to Alleviate Poverty in Ivory Coast

The government of Ivory Coast has made some efforts to reduce poverty in the country. However, more action is needed to meet its development goals.

The government has implemented several social programs aimed at poverty reduction. These include cash transfer programs to alleviate extreme poverty, as well as programmes to improve access to education, healthcare and nutrition. However, these programmes often suffer from insufficient funding and poor targeting.

Investment in agriculture has also been a priority given its importance for poverty reduction and economic growth. The government has focused on improving irrigation,credit access and subsidizing farming inputs.[[Agriculture in Ivory Coast]|Agriculture]] accounts for around 25% of GDP and employs over 60% of the workforce.

The country has seen significant infrastructure development in recent years. This includes expanding road networks,building ports and improving electricity access. However, rural areas still lag significantly and only 50% of the population has access to electricity.

Despite these efforts, Ivory Coast still has a long way to go to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ending extreme poverty (less than $1.90 a day) by 2030. The government will need to implement more effective programmes,improve governance and promote inclusive economic growth.

Efforts	Details
Social programmes	Cash transfers, health,education but underfunded
Focus on agriculture	Farm input subsidies, irrigation projects
Infrastructure development	Roads, ports, electricity but uneven
Not enough progress	Extreme poverty rate remains above 40%

ivory coast, children, girl and boy wearing orange jackets standing — *Photo by* *Annie Spratt* / *Unsplash*

Success Stories: Individuals Who Escaped Poverty in Ivory Coast

While poverty remains widespread in Ivory Coast, there are many inspiring stories of individuals who have risen from humble beginnings to success. These stories demonstrate what is possible through hard work, perseverance and entrepreneurship.

One of the best known success stories is that of Houon Pierre Djidji , commonly known as [[PDG|Pierre Didier Houon]]. Born into a poor family in Yamoussoukro, Houon started his business empire by selling phone cards on the street.

Today, he owns multiple companiesin telecom,media and real estate with more than 5,000 employees. His [SID]/(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SID_(company) company is one of the largest mobile providers in Ivory Coast.

Another inspiring success story is that of Aba Hassan Doré, founder of the Eco Bank group. Born into a poor rural family, Doré started working as a bank teller at age 19.

Through hard work, perseverance and vision, he rose to become CEO of one of Africa’s largest banks with operations in 33 countries. He has been named African banker of the year multiple times for his work reducing poverty through financial inclusion.

These stories show how entrepreneurship and innovation can help individuals rise from poverty in Ivory Coast. However,large-scale changes are still needed to replicate these successes and reduce poverty for millions more Ivorians.