World Factbook
Benin
République du Benin
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Literacy
male
62.6% (2022 est.)
female
41.5% (2022 est.)
total population
51.4% (2022 est.)
Languages
55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba are the most important indigenous languages in the south; half a dozen regionally important languages in the north, including Bariba and Fulfulde
Religions
Muslim 27.7%, Roman Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5% (Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, other Protestant 3.4%), Vodoun 11.6%, other Christian 9.5%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.94 male(s)/female
total population
0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.84 male(s)/female
Birth rate
39.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
7.45 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
16.6 years
total
17.2 years (2025 est.)
female
17.7 years
Population
male
7,500,771
total
15,186,090 (2025 est.)
female
7,685,319
Nationality
noun
Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective
Beninese
Tobacco use
male
8.3% (2025 est.)
total
4.8% (2025 est.)
female
1.5% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
50.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
3.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
45.3% (male 3,360,027/female 3,294,201)
15-64 years
52.2% (male 3,727,040/female 3,951,786)
65 years and over
2.5% (2024 est.) (male 166,191/female 197,807)
Ethnic groups
Fon and related 38.4%, Adja and related 15.1%, Yoruba and related 12%, Bariba and related 9.6%, Fulani and related 8.6%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4.3%, Dendi and related 2.9%, other 0.9%, foreigner 1.9% (2013 est.)
Child marriage
men married by age 18
4.6% (2022)
women married by age 15
5.9% (2022)
women married by age 18
27.5% (2022)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
91.1 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
86.3 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
21 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
4.8 (2025 est.)
Physician density
0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
2.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
2.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.3 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 60.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 67.4% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 74.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 39.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 32.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 25.9% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
18% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
57.8 deaths/1,000 live births
total
51.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
47.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
3.26% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
2.59 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Life expectancy at birth
male
61.1 years
female
65 years
total population
63 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
518 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 20.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 39.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 58.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 79.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 60.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 41.5% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
285,000 PORTO-NOVO (capital) (2018); 1.253 million Abomey-Calavi, 722,000 COTONOU (seat of government) (2022)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
9.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.5 years (2017/18 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
65.7% (2022 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
19.6% (2021 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male
11 years (2022 est.)
total
10 years (2022 est.)
female
9 years (2022 est.)