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COUNTRY PROFILE / BEN

Benin

Benin / BJ

01 / BASIC INFORMATION

Benin in numbers.

Area114,760 kmยฒWorld # 102 โ†’Population14.8MWorld # 75 โ†’Population density129.1 people/kmยฒWorld # 82 โ†’Life expectancy61 yearsWorld # 207 โ†’GDP per capitaUS$ 1,658World # 178 โ†’

02 / ALL RANKINGS

Benin across 51 rankings.

Essentials

Area114,760 kmยฒWorld # 102 / 2023 โ†’Population14.8MWorld # 75 / 2025 โ†’Population density129.1 people/kmยฒWorld # 82 / Population 2025 ยท area 2023 โ†’Independence / founding reference year1,960World # 81 / CIA World Factbook 2025 archive โ†’

People & society

Population growth2.4%World # 27 / 2025 โ†’Total fertility rate4.5World # 14 / 2024 โ†’Birth rate33.4 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 14 / 2024 โ†’Death rate8.7 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 69 / 2024 โ†’Median age17.8 yearsWorld # 217 / 2023 โ†’Population aged 65+3.2%World # 188 / 2025 โ†’Population aged 0โ€“1441.3%World # 14 / 2025 โ†’Urban population53.4%World # 147 / 2025 โ†’Net migration-7.8KWorld # 146 / 2025 โ†’Net migration rate-0.5 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 122 / 2025 โ†’International migrant share2.9%World # 136 / 2024 โ†’

Health

Life expectancy61 yearsWorld # 207 / 2024 โ†’Healthy life expectancy55.7 yearsWorld # 153 / 2021 โ†’Physicians per 1,000 people0.2 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 160 / 2023 โ†’Smoking rate7.4%World # 152 / 2024 โ†’

Economy & work

GDP per capitaUS$ 1,658World # 178 / 2025 โ†’Nominal GDPUS$ 24.6BWorld # 125 / 2025 โ†’GDP per capita (PPP)US$ 4,817World # 168 / 2025 โ†’Real GDP growth8.1%World # 12 / 2025 โ†’Inflation1.1%World # 149 / 2025 โ†’Unemployment1.6%World # 174 / 2025 โ†’Youth unemployment2.9%World # 176 / 2025 โ†’Average annual working hoursNo dataNo rank โ†’Average sleep timeNo dataNo rank โ†’Income inequality (Gini index)34.4World # 84 / 2021 โ†’

Education & science

Education spending (% of GDP)3.2%World # 137 / 2023 โ†’Researchers per million peopleNo dataNo rank โ†’R&D spending (% of GDP)No dataNo rank โ†’Patent applications per million peopleNo dataNo rank โ†’

Food & agriculture

Calorie supply per person2,703 kcal/dayWorld # 133 / 2022 โ†’Meat supply per person17.3 kg/person/yearWorld # 159 / 2022 โ†’Rice production500.6K tWorld # 50 / 2024 โ†’Wheat productionNo dataNo rank โ†’Coffee production55.1 tWorld # 69 / 2024 โ†’Coffee consumption per personNo dataNo rank โ†’

Environment & digital

Forest area26.5%World # 114 / 2023 โ†’Electricity use per person115 kWh/personWorld # 140 / 2023 โ†’COโ‚‚ emissions per person0.4 tWorld # 183 / 2024 โ†’Internet use34%World # 177 / 2024 โ†’Mobile subscriptions125.9 per 100 peopleWorld # 73 / 2024 โ†’

Safety & politics

Homicide rate1.1 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 132 / 2017 โ†’Road traffic death rate26.8 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 40 / 2019 โ†’Military spending (% of GDP)0.7%World # 135 / 2024 โ†’Women in parliament26.6%World # 93 / 2025 โ†’

Travel & culture

International tourist arrivals337KWorld # 143 / 2019 โ†’International tourism receiptsUS$ 240.9MWorld # 121 / 2019 โ†’World Heritage sites3 sitesWorld # 94 / 2026-07 โ†’

03 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY

Society, culture and industry.

Largest religious groupChristianity2013 / 48.5%Main languageFrenchMain functional languageLeading electricity sourceNatural gas2024Top export categoryGems, precious metals and glass2023Most mapped OSM sportFootball and futsal269 facilities countedWriting directionLeft to rightFrenchLargest staple-food calorie sourceRoots and plantains2013Current currencyCFA Franc BCEAOXOFDriving sideRight-hand trafficSide of the road used by trafficCountry-name originPlaces and landformsBight of Benin