Togo
Togolese Republic
Population
9.14M
Area
56,785 km²
GDP
$9.93B
GDP Per Capita
$2,800
Pop. Density
161/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
FrWest African CFA franc(XOF)
Calling Code
+228
Timezone
UTC
Languages
French
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Togolese
Background
From the 11th to the 16th centuries, various ethnic groups settled the Togo region. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the coastal region became a major trading center for enslaved people, and the surrounding region took on the name of "The Slave Coast." In 1884, Germany declared the area a protectorate called Togoland, which included present-day Togo. After World War I, colonial rule over Togo was transferred to France. French Togoland became Togo upon independence in 1960.
Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. Despite the facade of multi-party elections instituted in the early 1990s, EYADEMA largely dominated the government. His Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967, with its successor, the Union for the Republic, maintaining a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in 2005, the military installed his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, as president and then engineered his formal election two months later. Togo held its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in 2007. Since then, GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to democratic reform. Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections, and in 2019, the country held its first local elections in 32 years.
Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly, and the country experiences periodic outbursts of protests from frustrated citizens, leading to violence between security forces and protesters. Constitutional changes in 2019 to institute a runoff system in presidential elections and to establish term limits have done little to reduce the resentment many Togolese feel after more than 50 years of one-family rule. GNASSINGBE became eligible for his current fourth term and one additional fifth term under the new rules. The next presidential election is set for 2025.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑220.7% since 2006Population
↑58.3% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 62.7 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography18
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 1 10 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries
border countries: Benin 651 km; Burkina Faso 131 km; Ghana 1,098 km
Coastline
56 km
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Elevation
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 236 m
Natural resources
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
70 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Population distribution
one of the more densely populated African nations, with most of the population residing in rural communities; density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts
Geography - note
stretches through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
People & Society36
Population
male: 4,488,825
female: 4,654,614
Nationality
adjective: Togolese
Ethnic groups
Adja-Ewe/Mina 42.4%, Kabye/Tem 25.9%, Para-Gourma/Akan 17.1%, Akposso/Akebu 4.1%, Ana-Ife 3.2%, other Togolese 1.7%, foreigners 5.2%, no response 0.4% (2013-14 est.)
Languages
French (official, language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (in the north)
Religions
Christian 42.3%, folk religion 36.9%, Muslim 14%, Hindu <1%, Buddhist <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, none 6.2% (2020 est.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 57% (male 2,486,142/female 2,597,914)
65 years and over: 4.3% (2024 est.) (male 159,596/female 225,725)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 66.7 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 8 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 12.6 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 19.9 years
female: 21.4 years
Population growth rate
2.37% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
30.17 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
4.64 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
one of the more densely populated African nations, with most of the population residing in rural communities; density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 3.6% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.982 million LOME (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
25 years (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
349 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 33.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 69.5 years
female: 74.7 years
Total fertility rate
4.03 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.99 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 2.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
0.6 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.4% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 9.3% (2025 est.)
female: 0.7% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
15.2% (2017 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
63.7% (2017 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 24.8% (2017)
men married by age 18: 2.6% (2017)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 11.6% national budget (2024 est.)
Literacy
male: 82.8% (2022 est.)
female: 63.7% (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 13 years (2017 est.)
female: 11 years (2017 est.)
Government25
Country name
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
etymology
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 6 07 N, 1 13 E
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name comes from a local word meaning "little market"
Administrative divisions
Legal system
customary law system
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one fifth of the National Assembly membership; passage requires four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; a referendum is required if approved by only two-thirds majority of the Assembly or if requested by the president; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government cannot be amended
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Togo
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
head of government: President of Council of Ministers Faure GNASSINGBE (since 3 May 2025)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the president of the council of ministers
election/appointment process: president is appointed by the national assembly for one six-year term; the president of the council of ministers is the leader of the majority party in the national assembly and is confirmed by the Constitutional Court with no term limits
election results:
2020: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 70.8%, Agbeyome KODJO (MPDD) 19.5%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 4.7%, other 5%
2015: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 58.8%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 35.2%, Tchaboure GOGUE (ADDI) 4%, other 2%
Legislative branch
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
number of seats
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic on the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judicial appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts: Court of Assizes (sessions court); Appeal Court; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal
Political parties
Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI
Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA
Democratic Forces for the Republic or FDR
National Alliance for Change or ANC
New Togolese Commitment
Pan-African National Party or PNP
Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP
Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development or MPDD
Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR
The Togolese Party
Union of Forces for Change or UFC
Union for the Republic or UNIR
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
email address and website:
embassyoftogo@hotmail.com
https://embassyoftogousa.com/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
B.P. 852, Lomé
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
consularLome@state.gov
https://tg.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AIIB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Flag
meaning: the five horizontal stripes stand for the country's regions; red stands for the people's loyalty and patriotism; green for hope, fertility, and agriculture; yellow for mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and national independence
history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement
National symbol(s)
lion
National color(s)
green, yellow, red, white
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH
history: adopted 1960, restored 1992; anthem was replaced during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Koutammakou; the Land of the Batammariba
Economy30
Economic overview
low-income West African economy; primarily agrarian economy; has a deep-water port; growing international shipping locale; improving privatization and public budgeting transparency; key phosphate mining industry; extremely high rural poverty
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $25.75 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $24.199 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 6.4% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,800 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$9.926 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.6% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 20% (2024 est.)
services: 52% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
cassava, maize, yams, sorghum, soybeans, beans, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, cotton (2023)
Industries
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Industrial production growth rate
4.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force
3.345 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 2% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 3.3% (2024 est.)
female: 3.5% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
45.5% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 29.6% (2021 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 7.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $2.407 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
14.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2019: -$55.444 million (2019 est.)
Current account balance 2018: -$184.852 million (2018 est.)
Exports
Exports 2019: $1.665 billion (2019 est.)
Exports 2018: $1.703 billion (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
UAE 40%, India 13%, Angola 13%, Burkina Faso 4%, Cote d'Ivoire 3% (2023)
Exports - commodities
gold, refined petroleum, soybeans, phosphates, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)
Imports
Imports 2019: $2.261 billion (2019 est.)
Imports 2018: $2.329 billion (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
China 26%, India 26%, Belgium 6%, Netherlands 6%, USA 3% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, garments, rice, palm oil, motorcycles and cycles (2023)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy7
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 96.5%
electrification - rural areas: 25%
Electricity
consumption: 1.815 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 1.1 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 206.938 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 11.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 8.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
exports: 10 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 163,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
Natural gas
imports: 176.16 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; five private local TV stations; cable TV available; state-owned radio network with two stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)
Internet country code
.tg
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.)
Transportation5
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
5V
Airports
7 (2025)
Railways
narrow gauge: 568 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Merchant marine
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 10, general cargo 250, oil tanker 56, other 80
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: Togolese Police (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 2.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 2.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 20,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FAT has a small inventory of mostly obsolescent or older armaments originating from several countries, including Brazil, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18-24 years of age for military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation; no conscription (2025)
Military - note
since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of involvement in the country’s politics, including assassinations, coups, and a crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds of civilians; over the past decade, it has made efforts to reform and professionalize, which have included increasing its role in UN peacekeeping activities, participating in multinational exercises, and receiving training from foreign partners, particularly France and the US; in addition, Togo has established a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome (2025)
Transnational Issues1
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 18,429 (2024 est.)