Benin

Sub-Saharan Africa·Lower middle income

Population: 14.1M; 75th of 217
GDP: $21.5B; 126th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $1,485; 180th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 60.8; 209th of 217
Human development: 0.525; 164th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Benin

Guinea

Senegal

Cameroon

Comoros

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

robust economic growth; slightly declining but still widespread poverty; strong trade relations with Nigeria; cotton exporter; COVID-19 has led to capital outflows and border closures; WAEMU member with currency pegged to the euro; recent fiscal deficit and debt reductions

Area: 112,622 km²
Languages: 55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba…
Resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Borders: Burkina Faso; Niger; Nigeria; Togo

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian53.2%▼ 5.1pt
Muslim31.4%▲ 7.9pt
Other10.5%▼ 3.3pt
Unaffiliated4.9%

Religious diversity: 7.05 / 10 · very high · 7th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

BEN

GIN

SEN

CMR

GDP

current US$

$21.5B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$443M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

41.9%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

24.2%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

17.4%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

0.617–––

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

–––

Population

people

14.1M–––

Population density

people per km²

122–––

Urban population

% of total

50.1%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4.6–––

Net migration

people

-7,725–––

Population under 15

% of total

41.6%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.1%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

2.7%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

3.4%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

1,896.6–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

70.9–––

Electricity generation

TWh

1–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

7.05–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

4.9%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.7%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#126/214

$21.5B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#180/214

$1,4852024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#170/203

$4,130latest

GDP growth

annual %

#13/214

7.5%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#177/207

$1,4302024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#37/213

1.6%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#121/201

$443M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#146/205

41.9%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#23/206

24.2%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#153/208

17.4%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#13/187

1.7%latest

Gini index

0–100

#76/168

34.4latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#133/168

27.2%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#138/165

$2,4772022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#115/144

2.042023

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

#22/139

0.6172023

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

#98/119

0.4052023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#75/217

14.1Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#88/216

122latest

Urban population

% of total

#148/215

50.1%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#209/217

60.8latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#14/217

4.6latest

Net migration

people

#148/217

-7,7252024

Population under 15

% of total

#15/217

41.6%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#188/217

3.1%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#181/196

46.4latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#187/196

77.9latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#184/192

2.7%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#160/195

0.2latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#152/160

47.1%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#136/199

3.4%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#159/194

10.6%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#184/210

32.2%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#102/214

1162023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#187/208

0.22023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#197/215

20.42024

Access to electricity

% of population

#188/215

57%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#167/198

1,896.62023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#193/202

70.92023

Electricity generation

TWh

#156/202

12023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#173/202

3%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#173/202

97%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#75/204

6.12024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#31/204

0.42024

Share of global CO₂

#129/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#27/193

1.92023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#56/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#79/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#92/210

0.2%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#57/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#73/210

0.5472024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#89/175

0.4932025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#92/175

0.3232025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#63/175

0.8362025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#43/175

0.1912025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#70/175

0.7092025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#71/178

432022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#89/193

-0.1242022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#100/193

-0.1642022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#132/193

-0.6022022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#124/193

-0.3492022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#35/175

0.8822025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#94/126

1602025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#99/126

1492025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#95/126

112025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#7/193

7.052020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#93/193

4.9%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#164/189

0.5252021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#152/170

0.6022021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#132/164

4.392025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#107/158

2.182023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#138/161

0.7%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.