Introduction
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 a region including present-day Togo as a protectorate called Togoland. After World War I, 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, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, maintains a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Togo held its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. Since then, President GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to democratic reform. Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections, and in 2019 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 by frustrated citizens that have led to violence between security forces and protesters. Constitutional changes in 2019 to institute a runoff system in presidential elections and to establish term limits has 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 will be in 2025.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 1 10 E
Map references
Africa
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries
total: 1,880 km
border countries (3): Benin 651 km; Burkina Faso 131 km; Ghana 1,098 km
Coastline
56 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 30 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim
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
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 236 m
Natural resources
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 67.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 45.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 18.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 4.9% (2018 est.)
other: 27.7% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
70 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Volta (410,991 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
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
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.)
note: Togo has an estimated 37 ethnic groups
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 42.3%, folk religion 36.9%, Muslim 14%, Hindu <1%, Buddhist <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, none 6.2% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile
Togo’s population is estimated to have grown to four times its size between 1960 and 2010. With nearly 60% of its populace under the age of 25 and a high annual growth rate attributed largely to high fertility, Togo’s population is likely to continue to expand for the foreseeable future. Reducing fertility, boosting job creation, and improving education will be essential to reducing the country’s high poverty rate. In 2008, Togo eliminated primary school enrollment fees, leading to higher enrollment but increased pressure on limited classroom space, teachers, and materials. Togo has a good chance of achieving universal primary education, but educational quality, the underrepresentation of girls, and the low rate of enrollment in secondary and tertiary schools remain concerns.
Togo is both a country of emigration and asylum. In the early 1990s, southern Togo suffered from the economic decline of the phosphate sector and ethnic and political repression at the hands of dictator Gnassingbe EYADEMA and his northern, Kabye-dominated administration. The turmoil led 300,000 to 350,000 predominantly southern Togolese to flee to Benin and Ghana, with most not returning home until relative stability was restored in 1997. In 2005, another outflow of 40,000 Togolese to Benin and Ghana occurred when violence broke out between the opposition and security forces over the disputed election of EYADEMA’s son Faure GNASSINGBE to the presidency. About half of the refugees reluctantly returned home in 2006, many still fearing for their safety. Despite ethnic tensions and periods of political unrest, Togo in December 2022 was home to almost 8,400 refugees from Ghana.
Age structure
0-14 years: 38.98% (male 1,720,743/female 1,672,286)
15-64 years: 56.76% (male 2,413,709/female 2,526,816)
65 years and over: 4.26% (2023 est.) (male 153,461/female 216,946)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 76.5
youth dependency ratio: 71
elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
potential support ratio: 18.3 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 20 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20.3 years (2020 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
urban population: 44.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.6% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.982 million LOME (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
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 (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
25 years (2017 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality ratio
399 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23Infant mortality rate
total: 39.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 44.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.71 years
male: 69.13 years
female: 74.37 years (2023 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
2.06 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
23.9% (2017)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 93.8% of population
rural: 60.3% of population
total: 74.6% of population
unimproved: urban: 6.2% of population
rural: 39.7% of population
total: 25.4% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
6% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 81.9% of population
rural: 18.3% of population
total: 45.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 18.1% of population
rural: 81.7% of population
total: 54.5% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
note: on 22 March 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Togo is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 1.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
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
total: 6.8% (2020 est.)
male: 12.3% (2020 est.)
female: 1.2% (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 6.4%
women married by age 18: 24.8%
men married by age 18: 2.6% (2017 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.5%
male: 80%
female: 55.1% (2019)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years
male: 14 years
female: 12 years (2017)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 9.7%
male: 12.3%
female: 7.7% (2021 est.)
Environment
Environment - current issues
deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rain forest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 32.71 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 3 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 3.06 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Land use
agricultural land: 67.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 45.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 18.4% (2018 est.)
forest: 4.9% (2018 est.)
other: 27.7% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 44.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.6% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,109,030 tons (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 22,181 tons (2012 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 2% (2012 est.)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Volta (410,991 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
14.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local long form: Republique Togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togoland
etymology: derived from the Ewe words "to" (river) and "godo" (on the other side) to give the sense of "on the other side of the river"; originally, this designation applied to the town of Togodo (now Togoville) on the northern shore of Lake Togo, but the name was eventually extended to the entire nation
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Lome
geographic coordinates: 6 07 N, 1 13 E
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: Lome comes from "alotime" which in the native Ewe language means "among the alo plants"; alo trees dominated the city's original founding site
Administrative divisions
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes
Independence
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Constitution
history: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992
amendments: 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; amended 2002, 2007, last in 2019 when the National Assembly unanimously approved a package of amendments, including setting presidential term limits of two 5-year mandates
Legal system
customary law system
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
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
chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah DOGBE (since 28 September 2020)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 22 February 2020 (next to be held February 2025); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: 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% (2020)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (91 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed, party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 20 December 2018 (next to be held in 2023)
election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 59, UFC 6, NET 3, MPDD 3, other 2, independent 18; composition - men 74, women 17, percent of women 18.7%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into criminal and administrative chambers, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the court president)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon 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 and leaders
Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Dodji APEVON]
Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI [Tchaboure GOGUE]
Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Léopold GNININVI]
Democratic Forces for the Republic or FDR [Dodji APEVON]
National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE]
New Togolese Commitment [Gerry TAAMA]
Pan-African National Party or PNP [Tikpi ATCHADAM]
Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO]
Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development or MPDD [Agbeyome KODJO]
Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA]
The Togolese Party [Nathaniel OLYMPIO]
Union of Forces for Change or UFC [N/A]
Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, 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, MINUSMA, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Frederic Edem HEGBE (since 24 April 2017)
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: Ambassador Elizabeth FITZSIMMONS (since 26 April 2022)
embassy: Boulevard Eyadema, B.P. 852, Lome
mailing address: 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300
telephone: [228] 2261-5470
FAX: [228] 2261-5501
email address and website:
consularLome@state.gov
https://tg.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people, green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture, while yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National symbol(s)
lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white
National anthem
name: "Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers)
lyrics/music: Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH
note: adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Koutammakou; the Land of the Batammariba
Economy
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)
$18.369 billion (2021 est.)
$17.451 billion (2020 est.)
$17.15 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
5.26% (2021 est.)
1.75% (2020 est.)
5.46% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$2,100 (2021 est.)
$2,100 (2020 est.)
$2,100 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$5.232 billion (2018 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.83% (2020 est.)
0.69% (2019 est.)
0.93% (2018 est.)
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B3 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: B (2019)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 28.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 21.8% (2017 est.)
services: 49.8% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 84.5% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 11.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.4% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -1.4% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 43.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -61% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
cassava, maize, yams, sorghum, beans, oil palm fruit, rice, vegetables, cotton, groundnuts
Industries
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 65%
industry: 5%
services: 30% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
4% (2021 est.)
3.94% (2020 est.)
3.72% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 9.7%
male: 12.3%
female: 7.7% (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
55.1% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
42.4 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 27.1% (2006)
Budget
revenues: $1.275 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $1.158 billion (2019 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$20.738 million (2020 est.)
-$55.444 million (2019 est.)
-$184.852 million (2018 est.)
Exports
$1.722 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.665 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.703 billion (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
India 16%, Benin 15%, Burkina Faso 6%, France 6%, Morocco 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, electricity, calcium phosphates, cotton (2019)
Imports
$2.389 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.261 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.329 billion (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
China 18%, South Korea 13%, India 11%, Belgium 10%, Netherlands 8%, United States 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, motorcycles, crude petroleum, rice, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$77.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$42.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$1.442 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.22 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
554.531 (2021 est.)
575.586 (2020 est.)
585.911 (2019 est.)
555.446 (2018 est.)
580.657 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 43% (2019)
electrification - urban areas: 77% (2019)
electrification - rural areas: 19% (2019)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 210,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 1,180,140,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 118 million kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 963 million kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 210 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 82.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 17.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 46,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 46,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 44.797 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
2.244 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 706,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.451 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 87,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
4.113 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 54,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 6.3 million (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 72 (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet (2022)
domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 72 telephones per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 228; landing point for the WACS submarine cable, linking countries along the west coast of Africa with each other and with Portugal; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2020)
Broadcast media
1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; five private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with two stations (in Lome and Kara); several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)
Internet users
total: 3.01 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 35% (2021 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 52,706 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.6 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 566,295 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 10.89 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
2
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
6
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Pipelines
62 km gas
Railways
total: 568 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 568 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
Roadways
total: 9,951 km (2018)
paved: 1,794 km (2018)
unpaved: 8,157 km (2018)
urban: 1,783 km (2018)
Waterways
50 km (2011) (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall)
country comparison to the world: 113Merchant marine
total: 403
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 10, general cargo 254, oil tanker 57, other 81 (2022)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Kpeme, Lome
container port(s) (TEUs): Lome (1,962,304) (2021)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Armee de l’Air), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT); Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police Directorate (Direction de la Police Nationale) (2023)
note: the Police Directorate and GNT are responsible for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; the GNT is also responsible for migration and border enforcement; the GNT falls under the Ministry of the Armed Forces but also reports to the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection on many matters involving law enforcement and internal security
Military expenditures
2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
2% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.6% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 11,000 personnel (6,500 Army; 500 Air and Navy; 3,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)
note: in January 2022, the Togolese Government announced its intent to boost the size of the FAT to more than 20,000 by 2025
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FAT has a small, mixed inventory of mostly older equipment from a variety of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, the UK, and the US (2022)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; no conscription; women have been able to serve since 2007 (2022)
Military deployments
730 (plus about 300 police) Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)
Military - note
since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of interfering in the country’s politics with assassinations, coups, influence, and a large military crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds; over the past decade, however, it has made some efforts to reform and professionalize, as well as increase its role in UN peacekeeping activities; Togo maintains a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome; the FAT participates in multinational exercises and has received training from foreign partners, including France and the US
the FAT’s current focuses are primarily terrorism and maritime security; in recent years, it has increased operations in the northern border region of the country to boost border security and prevent terrorist infiltrations from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida-affiliated militant groups based in Mali that also operates in neighboring Burkina Faso; in 2022, the Togolese Government declared a state of emergency in the north due to the threat from JNIM following an attack on a Togolese military post that killed several soldiers; the Navy and Air Force have increased focus on combating piracy and smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea
the Army has a mixed force of small, lightly-armed combined arms, infantry, and commando regiments, as well as a rapid reaction force; the Gendarmerie includes mobile, regionally-based, and maritime units; the Navy operates a few patrol boats while the Air Force has a small inventory of training, light attack-capable, and transport aircraft, as well as combat helicopters and a few armed UAVs acquired from Turkey in 2022 (2023)
Maritime threats
for a second year the International Maritime Bureau reported no incidents in 2022 in the territorial and offshore waters of Togo; past incidents have been reported where vessels were attacked and crews kidnapped; these incidents showed that the pirates / robbers in the area are well armed and violent; pirates have robbed vessels and kidnapped crews for ransom; in the past, product tankers were hijacked and cargo stolen; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2023-001 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 3 January 2023, which states in part, "Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea"
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Togo-Benin: in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; Benin’s and Togo’s Adjrala hydroelectric dam project on the Mona River, proposed in the 1990s, commenced in 2017 with funding from a Chinese bank
Togo-Burkina Faso: none identified
Togo-Ghana: none identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 8,450 (Ghana) (2023)
Illicit drugs
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem