Safest cities in Cote d'Ivoire
19 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
Areas the UK FCDO advises against visiting
- Borders with Burkina Faso and Mali
- Côte d’Ivoire-Liberia border
- within 40km of the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali
- Northern Zanzan and Savanes provinces
- Comoé National Park
In full or in part — the official advisory lists exact boundaries and exceptions.
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in Côte d’IvoireTerrorist attacks in Côte d’Ivoire cannot be ruled out.
Political situation
- Political demonstrations sometimes take place in Abidjan and regional towns, particularly around elections. The authorities may use tear gas to disrupt unauthorised protests. Crowds can gather quickly, and roadblocks are common. It is possible that, in the event of significant unrest, internet access might be restricted.
Personal security measures
- If you’re staying for long in Côte d’Ivoire, you should seek professional security advice and regularly review personal security arrangements. You should keep a stock of food and water.
Crime
- Street crimeTo reduce your personal risk:
- Vehicle crimeThere have been attacks by armed robbers on private cars driving on the main roads in the west of the country. You could be at risk in daylight as well as at night.
Laws and cultural differences
- Personal IDYou must carry your passport. Carry the original as the police will not always accept copies.
- Dress codeDress modestly when visiting religious places or buildings.
- Illegal drugs and prison sentencesDrug trafficking and possession are illegal. If you’re found guilty, you could receive a long prison sentence or a heavy fine.
- Using cameras in secure areasIt is prohibited to take photographs near sensitive installations, including:
- LGBT+ travellersSame-sex sexual activity is not illegal in Côte d’Ivoire, but the law does not recognise same-sex partnerships or marriage. Attitudes are less tolerant and there is no specific anti-discrimination law to protect LGBT+ people.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Côte d’Ivoire, see information on driving abroad.
- Road conditionsDriving standards in Côte d’Ivoire are poor. There is a high number of fatal road accidents and emergency services outside of Abidjan are unreliable.
- Public transportTake care when using public transport – driving standards and vehicle maintenance are poor.
- TaxisTaxis, including share taxis, operate in Abidjan and other cities in Côte d’Ivoire. Vehicles used as taxis tend to be old and there may be issues with the standard of maintenance. Ride-hailing apps are also available, and vehicles operating on these apps tend to be better maintained. Although no taxi can be guaranteed safe, we recommend using…
- Roadblocks and checkpointsThere are roadblocks and checkpoints in and around Abidjan and across the country. The Côte d’Ivoire government is currently running a campaign against bad driving and unroadworthy vehicles.
Extreme weather and natural disasters
- FloodingThe rainy season is between May and November. Torrential rains often cause flooding, landslides and large potholes. Flash flooding has caused deaths. Monitor local weather reports.
- Ocean currentsOcean currents are very strong along the coast. Rip tides cause many swimming accidents and drownings each year. There is no lifeboat or rescue service.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Cote d'Ivoire, updated 2026-05-29 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- no data
- Income inequality
- Gini 35.32021
- Human development
- HDI 0.5822023
- Income
- $7,750/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 24.1 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 51/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 47/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 43/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 5.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.59GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 20.4 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- 36%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.2 doctors /1k0.4 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 268 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only
Natural hazards
- Flood
- 4.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Cote d'Ivoire (as of 2025).
How Cote d'Ivoire compares
| Measure | Cote d'Ivoire | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | no data | 2.4 /100k | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 35.3 | 35.2 | +0.1 — better for World median |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.582 | 0.763 | −0.181 — better for World median |
| Road deaths | 24.1 /100k | 15.4 /100k | +8.7 /100k — better for World median |
| Rule of law | 47/100 | 52/100 | −5/100 — better for World median |
| Corruption perceptions | 43/100 | 39/100 | +4/100 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 20.4 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | +0.7 µg/m³ — better for World median |
| Natural-hazard risk | 5.2/10 | 3.8/10 | +1.4/10 — better for World median |
| Measure | Cote d'Ivoire | Africa median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | no data | 4.5 /100k | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 35.3 | 38.5 | −3.2 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.582 | 0.560 | +0.022 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Road deaths | 24.1 /100k | 28.2 /100k | −4.1 /100k — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Rule of law | 47/100 | 42/100 | +5/100 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Corruption perceptions | 43/100 | 30/100 | +13/100 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 20.4 µg/m³ | 27.7 µg/m³ | −7.3 µg/m³ — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
| Natural-hazard risk | 5.2/10 | 5.3/10 | −0.1/10 — better for Cote d'Ivoire |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.
All 19 cities, safest first
- Abidjan78.9 · #2001 worldwide
- Bouaké78.9 · #2002 worldwide
- Daloa78.9 · #2003 worldwide
- Korhogo78.9 · #2004 worldwide
- San-Pédro78.9 · #2005 worldwide
- Yamoussoukro78.9 · #2006 worldwide
- Man78.9 · #2007 worldwide
- Gagnoa78.9 · #2008 worldwide
- Duekoue78.9 · #2009 worldwide
- Divo78.9 · #2010 worldwide
- Soubré78.9 · #2011 worldwide
- Bouaflé78.9 · #2012 worldwide
- Abengourou78.9 · #2013 worldwide
- Méagui78.9 · #2014 worldwide
- Bondoukou78.9 · #2015 worldwide
- Sinfra78.9 · #2016 worldwide
- Danané78.9 · #2017 worldwide
- Vavoua78.9 · #2018 worldwide
- Ferkéssédougou59.4 · #4479 worldwide