Togo’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita rose above the $1,300 mark in 2025, supported by a combination of stronger economic activity and a downward revision to the country’s population estimates by the United Nations.
The update, published in January 2026, reduced the demographic base used in per-capita calculations, mechanically lifting the income indicator while coinciding with a rebound in key productive sectors.
In its latest update, the UN Population Division adjusted Togo’s population figures for 2022 from 9.1 million previously to around 8.07 million, correcting a 12% gap that distorted census data published in its World Population Prospects 2024.
Since population figures feed directly into GDP per capita calculations — which divide total economic output by the number of inhabitants —a lower population estimate, holding output constant, mechanically raises the ratio.
As such, the revised demographic data places GDP per capita at about $1,207 in 2023 and roughly $1,281 in 2024. In 2025, sustained economic growth, estimated at 6%, and a gradual easing in population growth pushed the indicator beyond $1,300.
The natural population growth rate also eased slightly to about 2.34% in 2025 from 2.36% a year earlier, further supporting gains in per-capita terms.
The UN stressed that the revision applies only to Togo and doesn’t affect the population data for other countries.
Industry and trade rebound reinforce growth momentum
The rise in per-capita income coincided with a broad-based rebound in economic activity in 2025. Data released earlier this year by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED) show a sharp acceleration in the third quarter, driven by industry, trade and services.
The industrial production index rose 11% in the first 10 months of 2025, reversing a 4.2% contraction recorded in 2024. Extractive and manufacturing industries each expanded by 7.8%, while energy output increased 3%, signalling a recovery across core industrial segments.
Commercial activity also strengthened. The turnover index, which tracks sales in trade, services and construction, climbed 19.1% year on year in the third quarter. Wholesale trade rose 21% and retail trade 18.4%, pointing to improved demand conditions.
Services and construction posted robust gains over the first nine months of the year. Health care activity expanded 44.4%, business support services grew 34.2%, transport rose 10.2% and construction increased 14.8%, reflecting stronger project execution and investment.
These indicators feed into quarterly GDP calculations and suggest a positive contribution to full-year growth.
Combined with the corrected population data, they underpin the rise in GDP per capita and brighten Togo’s economic outlook heading into 2026, even as structural challenges around employment, productivity and living standards persist.
Analysts see the updated data informing future assessments by lenders, rating agencies and development partners, offering a clearer picture of average income levels and macroeconomic performance in the West Africa nation.
