Benin
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
Present-day Benin is comprised of about 42 ethnic groups, including the Yoruba in the southeast, who migrated from what is now Nigeria in the 12th century; the Dendi in the north-central area, who came from Mali in the 16th century; the Bariba and the Fula in the northeast; the Ottamari in the Atakora mountains; the Fon in the area around Abomey in the south-central area; and the Mina, Xueda, and Aja, who came from Togo, on the coast. The Kingdom of Dahomey emerged on the Abomey plateau in the 17th century and was a regional power for much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The growth of Dahomey coincided with the growth of the Atlantic slave trade, and it became known as a major source of enslaved people. France began to control the coastal areas of Dahomey in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960, and it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and a Marxist-Leninist government. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU returned to power after elections in 1996 and 2001. He stepped down in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent, who won a second term in 2011. Patrice TALON, a wealthy businessman, took office in 2016; the space for pluralism, dissent, and free expression has narrowed under his administration. TALON won a second term in 2021.
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
121 km
Geography - note
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Irrigated land
530 sq km (2019)
Land boundaries
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
1.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
19.6% (2021 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
65.7% (2022 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 91.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 86.3 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 4.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 21 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
3.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 18% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
2.59 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
2.6% of GDP (2021) 2.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 51.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 57.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 51.4% (2022 est.) male: 62.6% (2022 est.) female: 41.5% (2022 est.)
Major urban areas - population
285,000 PORTO-NOVO (capital) (2018); 1.253 million Abomey-Calavi, 722,000 COTONOU (seat of government) (2022)
Maternal mortality ratio
518 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
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
Nationality
noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
9.6% (2016)
Physician density
0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 10 years (2022 est.) male: 11 years (2022 est.) female: 9 years (2022 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 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 4.8% (2025 est.) male: 8.3% (2025 est.) female: 1.5% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 50.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 685,900 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 56.9% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) to the right, with a vertical green band on the left side
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
12 departments; Alibori, Atacora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Benin dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Constitution
history: previous 1946, 1958 (pre-independence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 amendment process: proposed concurrently by the president of the republic (after a decision in the Council of Ministers) and the National Assembly; consideration of drafts or proposals requires at least three-fourths majority vote of the Assembly membership; passage requires approval in a referendum unless approved by at least four-fifths majority vote of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles affecting territorial sovereignty, the republican form of government, and secularity of Benin cannot be amended
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: République du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey, People's Republic of Benin etymology: the current name comes from a local ethnic group, the Bini, whose name may be related to the Arabic word bani, meaning "sons;" the former name, Dahomey, comes from a previous kingdom in the area called Dan Homé
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the chief justice and 16 justices organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members, including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the president of the republic on the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the president of the republic; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; other members of the High Court of Justice elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court for the Repression of Economic and Terrorism Infractions (CRIET) or Cour de Répression des Infractions Economiques et du Terrorisme; district courts; village courts; Assize courts note: jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office
Legal system
civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Royal Palaces of Abomey (c); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba (c)
Political parties
African Movement for Development and Progress or MADEP Benin Renaissance or RB Cowrie Force for an Emerging Benin or FCBE Democratic Renewal Party or PRD Progressive Union for Renewal Republican Bloc Sun Alliance or AS The Democrats Union Makes the Nation or UN (includes PRD, MADEP) note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$1.609 billion (2023 est.) -$991.005 million (2022 est.) -$734.659 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$6.309 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 606.345 (2024 est.) 606.655 (2023 est.) 622.912 (2022 est.) 554.608 (2021 est.) 574.295 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
9.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.2% (2024 est.) 2.7% (2023 est.) 1.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Remittances
1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
estimated 10-12,000 active duty Armed Forces (including National Guard) (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Beninese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB; aka Benin Defense Forces): Army, Air Force, National Navy, National Guard (aka Republican Guard) Ministry of Interior and Public Security: Republican Police (Police Republicaine, DGPR) (2025) note: FAB is under the Ministry of Defense and is responsible for external security and supporting the DGPR in maintaining internal security, which has primary responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order; the DGPR was formed in 2018 through a merger of police and gendarmes
the military is equipped with a mix of older, secondhand, and limited amounts of newer equipment from a variety of suppliers, including China, France, Germany, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, Spain, and the US (2025)
the Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) are responsible for defense against external aggression and may be required to assist in maintaining public order and internal security under conditions defined by the country's president; it may also participate in economic development projects a key focus for the security forces of Benin is countering infiltrations into the country by terrorist groups tied to al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) operating just over the border from northern Benin in Burkina Faso and Niger; in 2022, the Benin Government said it was "at war" after suffering a series of attacks from these groups; later that same year, President TALON pledged to increase the size of the military, modernize military equipment, and establish forward operating bases; the military since 2022 has also deployed thousands of additional troops to the north of the country to better secure the border region; in addition, the FAB participates in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeastern border (2025)
18-30 years of age for voluntary and selective compulsory military service for men and women; compulsory service is 18 months (2025)