Benin
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 14.8M (2025). World rank 75 of 216; in Africa, 28 of 54. Area: 112,622 km². World rank 103 of 249; in Africa, 39 of 59. Life expectancy: 61 years (2024). World rank 208 of 216 (1 = best); in Africa, 46 of 54. From 2015 to 2025: population 11.4M → 14.8M, GDP $11.4B → $24.6B, and GDP per person $1,002 → $1,658. Better than all its neighbours (Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo): GDP per person.
State
- Official name
- Republic of Benin
- Local name
- Bénin
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Romuald Wadagni
- Head of government
- Patrice Talon
- Independence
- August 1, 1960
- Women in parliament
- 26.6% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 14,814,460 2025
- Area
- 112,622 km²
- GDP
- $24.6B 2025
- GDP per person
- $1,658 2025
- Life expectancy
- 61 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA Franc (XOF)
- Time zones
- UTC+1
- Calling code
- +229
- Emergency numbers
- 112, 117, 118
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, E
- Mains voltage
- 220 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 121
- Neighbours
- Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Togo
- Agricultural land
- 43.1% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Mont Sokbaro, 675 m
- Lowest point
- Bight of Benin, 0 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 273
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 26
- Warmest month in the capital
- March, 28°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- August, 25°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 1,039 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 131.5 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2.4% 2025
- Living in cities
- 53.4% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -7.8K 2025
- Born in another country
- 2.9% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 41.3% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 55.6% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 3.2% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 62.4 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 59.5 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 4.5 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 33.4 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 8.7 2024
Society
- Religions
- Muslim 27.7%, Catholic 25.5%, folk religions 14.2%, Protestant 13.5%, and other Christian 9.5% (2013)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 51.1 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 43.8 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 48.9 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 50.4 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 51.5 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $4,817 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +8.1% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Lower-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $1,600 2025
- Inflation
- +1.1% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 34 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 22.9% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 17.5% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 50.1% 2025
- Unemployment
- 1.6% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 2.9% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 75.2% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 17.1% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 20.1% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -8.2% 2023
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +2% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 1.7% 2023
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 10.8% 1979
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 34.4 2021
- Living on under $3 a day
- 27.2% 2021
Education
- Adult literacy
- 51.4% 2022
- Primary school enrolment
- 108% 2022
- Secondary school enrolment
- 43.6% 2022
- Higher education enrolment
- 10.2% 2022
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 3.2% 2023
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 3.3% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $47 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 42.4% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.2 2023
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 0.6 2023
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 0.4 2021
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 44% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 45.2 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 74.7 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 518 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.7% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 8.1% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 30.1% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 7.4% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 69.6% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 22.3% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 8% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 1.1 2017
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 26.8 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 7.1 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 58.6 2025
- Natural hazards
- dust and sand storms
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 39.7 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.5 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 1.2 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 28.1% 2024
- Protected areas
- 28.8% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 749 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 1% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 34% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 126 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 0.3 2024
- Internet domain
- .bj
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 59% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 123 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 54.5% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 0.3% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 92.6% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 899 2016
- Airports
- 10 2025
- Railways, km
- 438 2014
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 437 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 30.5% 2024