Togo

presidential republic

name: Lome 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"

chief of state: President Jean-Lucien Kwassi Savi de TOVE (since 3 May 2025) 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% note: in May 2024, the President signed into law changes to the constitution that converted the presidential system to a parliamentary republic and created the President of Council of Ministers position

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral note: party lists are required to contain equal numbers of men and women

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supr me (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 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

history: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992; revised 6 May 2024 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

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

2.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 3% of GDP (2023 est.) 4% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army, Togolese Navy, Togolese Air Force, National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT) Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: Togolese Police (2025) note: the Police 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; in 2022, the Ministry of the Armed Forces was made part of the Office of the Presidency

18-24 years of age for military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation; no conscription (2025)

the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) are responsible for both external defense and internal security; the FAT s primary concerns are border security, terrorism, and maritime security; in recent years, it has boosted operations in the northern border region of the country to secure the frontier and prevent banditry, illicit smuggling, and 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 following an attack by JNIM fighters 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 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)

$27.115 billion (2024 est.) $25.75 billion (2023 est.) $24.199 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$2,800 (2024 est.) $2,800 (2023 est.) $2,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.3% (2024 est.) 6.4% (2023 est.) 5.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.9% (2024 est.) 5.3% (2023 est.) 7.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

81.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

$1.722 billion (2020 est.) $1.665 billion (2019 est.) $1.703 billion (2018 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$2.389 billion (2020 est.) $2.261 billion (2019 est.) $2.329 billion (2018 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

2% (2024 est.) 2% (2023 est.) 2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $1.801 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $2.407 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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

cassava, maize, yams, sorghum, soybeans, beans, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, cotton (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 9,143,439 (2025 est.) male: 4,488,825 female: 4,654,614

2.37% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 38.7% (male 1,749,533/female 1,699,084) 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)

30.17 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.64 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 72.1 years (2024 est.) male: 69.5 years female: 74.7 years

urban population: 44.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.6% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

French (official, language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (in the north)

Christian 42.3%, folk religion 36.9%, Muslim 14%, Hindu 1%, Buddhist 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 6.2% (2020 est.)

total population: 72.6% (2022 est.) male: 82.8% (2022 est.) female: 63.7% (2022 est.)

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

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 the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 48,756 (2024 est.) IDPs: 18,429 (2024 est.)

7 (2025)

total: 568 km (2014) narrow gauge: 568 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

total: 397 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 10, general cargo 250, oil tanker 56, other 80

total subscriptions: 7.69 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 37% (2023 est.)