Togo

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2017)

Internet country code

.tg

Internet users

total: 877,310 | percent of population: 11.3% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Telephone system

general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system | domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 70 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating | international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 33,817 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 5,505,424 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Budget

revenues: $1.228 billion | expenditures: $1.483 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Central bank discount rate

2.5% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 112

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

$-431 million (2016 est.) | $-460.8 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Debt - external

$1.22 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.056 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46 (2011) | country comparison to the world: 34

Economy - overview

Togo is enjoying a period of steady economic growth fueled by political stability and a concerted effort by the government to modernize the country’s commercial infrastructure. The country has recently completed an ambitious large-scale infrastructure improvement program, including new principal roads, a new airport terminal, and a new sea-port. The economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for around 60% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton and other agricultural products generate about 20% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is among the world's largest producers of phosphate and seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves, which provide more than 20% of export earnings. | The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a Heavily Indebted Poor Country debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms, and is currently finalizing IMF approval for an agreement on an Extended Credit Facility arrangement consisting of a three-year $238 million loan package. Progress depends on follow through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. | Togo’s 2016 economic growth remained steady at 5.3%, largely driven by infusions of foreign aid, infrastructure investment in the port and mineral sectors, and improvements in the business climate. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed in recent years.

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.) | 510.53 (2012 est.)

Exports

$967.4 million (2016 est.) | $1.011 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Exports - commodities

reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners

Benin 17.5%, Burkina Faso 15.9%, India 7.6%, Mali 7.2%, Niger 7%, Cote dIvoire 6.1%, Ghana 4.8%, Nigeria 4.3% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.434 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$11.64 billion (2016 est.) | $10.95 billion (2015 est.) | $10.28 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 154

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81.2% | government consumption: 16.5% | investment in fixed capital: 24.8% | investment in inventories: -1.4% | exports of goods and services: 38.8% | imports of goods and services: -59.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 29% | industry: 21.1% | services: 49.9% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,500 (2016 est.) | $1,500 (2015 est.) | $1,500 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 217

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2016 est.) | 5.3% (2015 est.) | 5.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Gross national saving

17.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 15.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | 15.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% | highest 10%: 27.1% (2006)

Imports

$1.981 billion (2016 est.) | $2.043 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Imports - partners

China 28.7%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

7.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Industries

phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2016 est.) | 1.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Labor force

2.595 million (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 65% | industry: 5% | services: 30% (1998 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

55.1% (2015 est.)

Public debt

71.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 74% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$42.6 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $73.9 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Stock of broad money

$2.239 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.184 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Stock of domestic credit

$1.62 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.65 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Stock of narrow money

$1.118 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.14 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Taxes and other revenues

27.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Unemployment rate

6.9% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.8 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 197

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - consumption

1.213 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Electricity - from fossil fuels

69.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

29.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - imports

1.242 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 63

Electricity - installed generating capacity

229,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Electricity - production

78.8 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity access

population without electricity: 5,000,000 | electrification - total population: 27% | electrification - urban areas: 35% | electrification - rural areas: 21% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 200

Refined petroleum products - consumption

14,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Refined petroleum products - imports

12,700 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Area

total: 56,785 sq km | land: 54,385 sq km | water: 2,400 sq km | country comparison to the world: 127

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline

56 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 236 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 1 10 E

Geography - note

the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 1,880 km | border countries (3): Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1,098 km

Land use

agricultural land: 67.4% | arable land 45.2%; permanent crops 3.8%; permanent pasture 18.4% | forest: 4.9% | other: 27.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 30 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

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

Terrain

gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Administrative divisions

5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes

Capital

name: Lome | geographic coordinates: 6 07 N, 1 13 E | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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 (2017)

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" (water) and "go" (shore) to give the sense of "by the water"; originally, this designation applied to the town of Togo (now Togoville) on the northern shore of Lake Togo, but the name was eventually extended to the entire nation

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador David R. GILMOUR (20 December 2015) | embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome | mailing address: B.P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300 | telephone: [228] 2261-5470 | FAX: [228] 2261-5501

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

Executive branch

chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005) | head of government: Prime Minister Komi KLASSOU (since 5 June 2015) | 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 25 April 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 58.8%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 35.2%, Tchaboure GOGUE (ADDI) 4%, other 2%

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; 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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

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

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 judge 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

Legal system

customary law system

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (91 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - UNIR 46.7%, CST 28.9%, Rainbow Alliance 10.8%, UFC 7.7%, independent 0.8%, other 5.1%; seats by coalition/party - UNIR 62, CST 19, Rainbow Alliance 6, UFC 3, independent 1

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 holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white

Political parties and leaders

Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yaovi AGBOYIBO] | Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI [Tchaboure GOGUE] | Combat for Political Change in 2015 or CAP 2015 [Jean-Pierre FABRE] | Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON] | Democrastic 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 ATDCHADAM] | Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO] | Rainbow Alliance (a coalition including CAR and CDPA) [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON] | Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA] | The Togolese Party [Nathaniel OLYMPIO] | Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO] | Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

French Togoland became Togo 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. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. Since 2007, President GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to political reconciliation and democratic reform, and Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections that were deemed generally free and fair by international observers. Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly and many Togolese complain that important political measures such as presidential term limits and electoral reforms remain undone, leaving the country’s politics in a lethargic state. Internationally, Togo is still known as a country where the same family has been in power for five decades.

Military branches

Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre); update State, April 2017, Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, TAF), National Gendarmerie (2017)

Military expenditures

1.86% of GDP (2016) | 1.71% of GDP (2015) | 1.85% of GDP (2014) | 1.77% of GDP (2013) | 1.63% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; currently the military is only an all-volunteer force (2017)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.29% (male 1,610,020/female 1,599,105) | 15-24 years: 19.2% (male 763,507/female 765,884) | 25-54 years: 32.79% (male 1,297,489/female 1,314,130) | 55-64 years: 4.31% (male 161,809/female 181,180) | 65 years and over: 3.41% (male 117,409/female 154,522) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

33.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.2% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 41

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19.9% (2013/14)

Death rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

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 September 2017 was home to more than 9,600 refugees from Ghana.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 81.2 | youth dependency ratio: 76.2 | elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 | potential support ratio: 19.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 91.4% of population | rural: 44.2% of population | total: 63.1% of population | urban: 8.6% of population | rural: 55.8% of population | total: 36.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 91

Ethnic groups

African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

HIV/AIDS - deaths

5,100 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

100,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42

Health expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 136

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 42.2 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 48.5 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 35.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.4 years | male: 62.8 years | female: 68.1 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 63.7% | male: 77.3% | female: 51.2% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever | respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis | water contact disease: schistosomiasis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

LOME (capital) 956,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

368 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Median age

total: 19.8 years | male: 19.5 years | female: 20.1 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Mother's mean age at first birth

21 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013/14 est.)

Nationality

noun: Togolese (singular and plural) | adjective: Togolese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.4% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 151

Physicians density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

7,965,055 | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

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

Population growth rate

2.64% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Religions

Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 24.7% of population | rural: 2.9% of population | total: 11.6% of population | urban: 75.3% of population | rural: 97.1% of population | total: 88.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years | male: NA | female: NA (2011)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.38 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Urbanization

urban population: 41% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 3.6% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River

Illicit drugs

transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 9,677 (Ghana) (2017)

Airports

8 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 163

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 6 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5V (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 61 | by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 38, carrier 3, chemical tanker 5, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 21 (China 1, Lebanon 6, Romania 1, Syria 6, Turkey 4, UAE 1, US 1, Yemen 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 66

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 769,904 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Kpeme, Lome

Railways

total: 568 km | narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 112

Roadways

total: 11,652 km | paved: 2,447 km | unpaved: 9,205 km (2007) | country comparison to the world: 130

Waterways

50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 102