Benin

Broadcast media

state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station providing a wide broadcast reach; several privately owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio, under ORTB control, includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2016)

Internet country code

.bj

Internet users

total: 1,288,336 | percent of population: 12.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment | domestic: fixed-line teledensity only about 1 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has increased rapidly, exceeding 80 per 100 persons in 2016 | international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 124,883 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 8,892,490 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 83 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Agriculture - products

cotton, corn, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

Budget

revenues: $1.321 billion | expenditures: $1.832 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 90

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.3% (31 December 2015 ) | country comparison to the world: 136

Current account balance

$-615 million (2016 est.) | $-744.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Debt - external

$2.476 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.179 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.5 (2003) | country comparison to the world: 86

Economy - overview

The free market economy of Benin has grown consecutively for three years, averaging about 5% annually since 2014, but its close trade links to Nigeria expose Benin to risks from volatile commodity prices. Cotton is a key export commodity; high prices supported export earnings, but prices have fallen. Inflation has subsided and remains just 1% over the past several years. | During the first 6 months of President TALON’s administration, electrical supply, which has hampered Benin’s economic growth, increased and blackouts have been reduced. Private foreign direct investment is small, and foreign aid accounts for the majority of investment in infrastructure projects. | Benin’s 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture. Benin has appealed for international assistance to mitigate piracy against commercial shipping in its territory. Pilferage has significantly dropped as the Port of Cotonou is still making progress towards implementing the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code in an effort to remain competitive. Projects included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact (2006-11) were designed to increase investment and private sector activity by improving key institutional and physical infrastructure. The four projects focused on access to land, access to financial services, access to justice, and access to markets (including modernization of the port). The Port of Cotonou is the largest component of Benin’s economy with revenues projected to account for more than 40% of Benin’s national budget. | Realizing its economic potential requires further efforts to infrastructure upgrades, stemming corruption, and expanding access to foreign markets in Nigeria and neighboring landlocked countries. In September 2015, Benin signed a MCC second Compact for $375 million that is designed to strengthen the national utility service provider, attract private sector investment, fund infrastructure investments in electricity generation and distribution, and develop off-grid electrification for poor and unserved households. In order to raise growth, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, encourage new information and communication technology, and establish Independent Power Producers (IPP).

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.) | 510.53 (2012 est.)

Exports

$1.588 billion (2016 est.) | $1.683 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Exports - commodities

cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Exports - partners

India 14.3%, Malaysia 12.2%, Bangladesh 9.5%, Belarus 7.4%, China 6.2%, Nigeria 6.1%, Niger 5.6% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.577 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$23.58 billion (2016 est.) | $22.38 billion (2015 est.) | $21.69 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 140

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 69.4% | government consumption: 14.4% | investment in fixed capital: 26.7% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 25.7% | imports of goods and services: -36.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 25.2% | industry: 23.2% | services: 51.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,100 (2016 est.) | $2,100 (2015 est.) | $2,100 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 202

GDP - real growth rate

4% (2016 est.) | 2.1% (2015 est.) | 6.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Gross national saving

17.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 17.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 20% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.1% | highest 10%: 29% (2003)

Imports

$2.209 billion (2016 est.) | $2.187 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners

India 14.9%, Thailand 12.4%, France 10.1%, China 8.4%, Togo 7.3%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.7% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

4.4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Industries

textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.8% (2016 est.) | 0.3% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Labor force

3.662 million (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

36.2% (2011 est.)

Public debt

50.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 42.4% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$57.5 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $66.8 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Stock of broad money

$3.609 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.606 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Stock of domestic credit

$1.661 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.631 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Stock of narrow money

$2.182 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.172 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Taxes and other revenues

15.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Unemployment rate

1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

5 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Crude oil - proved reserves

8 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 95

Electricity - consumption

1.121 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Electricity - from fossil fuels

97.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - imports

1.078 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Electricity - installed generating capacity

213,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Electricity - production

311.6 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Electricity access

population without electricity: 7,300,000 | electrification - total population: 29% | electrification - urban areas: 57% | electrification - rural areas: 9% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 103

Refined petroleum products - consumption

44,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Refined petroleum products - exports

5,152 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Refined petroleum products - imports

47,940 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Area

total: 112,622 sq km | land: 110,622 sq km | water: 2,000 sq km | country comparison to the world: 103

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline

121 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 273 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Environment - current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

9 30 N, 2 15 E

Geography - note

sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands

Irrigated land

230 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 2,123 km | border countries (4): Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km

Land use

agricultural land: 31.3% | arable land 22.9%; permanent crops 3.5%; permanent pasture 4.9% | forest: 40% | other: 28.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 200 nm | exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Natural resources

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Administrative divisions

12 departments; Alibori, Atacora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou

Capital

name: Porto-Novo (official capital); Cotonou (seat of government) | geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 | amendments: 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 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Benin | conventional short form: Benin | local long form: Republique du Benin | local short form: Benin | former: Dahomey | etymology: named for the Bight of Benin, the body of water on which the country lies

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Lucy TAMLYN (since 8 November 2015) | embassy: Caporal Bernard Anani, 01 BP 2012, Cotonou | mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou | telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50 | FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Hector POSSET (since 18 January 2017) | chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 | FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

Executive branch

chief of state: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); prime minister position abolished | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 6 March and 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: Patrice TALON elected president; percent of vote (first round) - Lionel ZINSOU (FCBE) 28.4%, Patrice TALON (independent) 24.8%, Sebastien AJAVON (independent) 23.0%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE (ABT) 8.8%, Pascal KOUPAKI (NC) 5.9%, other 9.1%; percent of vote (second round)- Patrice TALON 65.4%, Lionel ZINSOU 34.6%

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side; green symbolizes hope and revival, yellow wealth, and red courage | note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

1 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 3 chamber presidents 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); 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 | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the national president upon 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 national president; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; High Court of Justice "other" members elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA | subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts

Legal system

civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 26 April 2015 (next to be held in April 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - FCBE 30.2%, UN 14.4%, PRD 10.6%, AND 7.6%, RB-RP 7.1%, other 30.1%; seats by party - FCBE 33, UN 13, PRD 10, AND 5, RB-RP 7, other 15

National anthem

name: "L'Aube Nouvelle" (The Dawn of a New Day) | lyrics/music: Gilbert Jean DAGNON | note: adopted 1960

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for a Triumphant Benin or ABT [Abdoulaye BIO TCHANE] | African Movement for Development and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN] | Benin Renaissance or RB [Lehady SOGLO] | Cowrie Force for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI] | Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] | New Consciousness Rally or NC [Pascal KOUPAKI] | Patriotic Awakening or RP [Janvier YAHOUEDEOU] | Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU] | Sun Alliance or AS [Sacca LAFIA] | Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (includes PRD, MADEP) | United Democratic Forces or FDU [Mathurin NAGO] | note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

economic groups; environmentalists; political groups; teachers' unions and other educational groups

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and a half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; 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 the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. 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 was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent, who won a second five-year term in March 2011. Patrice TALON, a wealthy businessman, took office in 2016 after campaigning to restore public confidence in the government.

Military branches

Benin Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin Air Force (Force Aerienne du Benin, FAB) (2013)

Military expenditures

1.14% of GDP (2016) | 1.1% of GDP (2015) | 0.96% of GDP (2014) | 0.94% of GDP (2013) | 0.96% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 99

Military service age and obligation

18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.65% (male 2,402,029/female 2,305,622) | 15-24 years: 20.44% (male 1,148,204/female 1,108,342) | 25-54 years: 30.44% (male 1,699,623/female 1,660,517) | 55-64 years: 3.61% (male 174,633/female 223,398) | 65 years and over: 2.87% (male 124,708/female 191,729) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

35 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 30

Contraceptive prevalence rate

17.9% (2014)

Death rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Demographic profile

Benin has a youthful age structure – almost 65% of the population is under the age of 25 – which is bolstered by high fertility and population growth rates. Benin’s total fertility has been falling over time but remains high, declining from almost 7 children per women in 1990 to 4.8 in 2016. Benin’s low contraceptive use and high unmet need for contraception contribute to the sustained high fertility rate. Although the majority of Beninese women use skilled health care personnel for antenatal care and delivery, the high rate of maternal mortality indicates the need for more access to high quality obstetric care. | Poverty, unemployment, increased living costs, and dwindling resources increasingly drive the Beninese to migrate. An estimated 4.4 million, more than 40%, of Beninese live abroad. Virtually all Beninese emigrants move to West African countries, particularly Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. Of the less than 1% of Beninese emigrants who settle in Europe, the vast majority live in France, Benin’s former colonial ruler. | With about 40% of the population living below the poverty line, many desperate parents resort to sending their children to work in wealthy households as domestic servants (a common practice known as vidomegon), mines, quarries, or agriculture domestically or in Nigeria and other neighboring countries, often under brutal conditions. Unlike in other West African countries, where rural people move to the coast, farmers from Benin’s densely populated southern and northwestern regions move to the historically sparsely populated central region to pursue agriculture. Immigrants from West African countries came to Benin in increasing numbers between 1992 and 2002 because of its political stability and porous borders.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 86.1 | youth dependency ratio: 80.1 | elderly dependency ratio: 6 | potential support ratio: 16.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 85.2% of population | rural: 72.1% of population | total: 77.9% of population | urban: 14.8% of population | rural: 27.9% of population | total: 22.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 64

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,400 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

67,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Health expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 154

Hospital bed density

0.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 52.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 55.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 49.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Languages

French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.3 years | male: 60.9 years | female: 63.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 38.4% | male: 49.9% | female: 27.3% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever | respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

PORTO-NOVO (capital) 268,000 (2014); COTONOU (seat of government) 682,000; Abomey-Calavi 757,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

405 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26

Median age

total: 18.2 years | male: 17.9 years | female: 18.6 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.3 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011/12 est.)

Nationality

noun: Beninese (singular and plural) | adjective: Beninese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.6% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 142

Physicians density

0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

11,038,805 | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

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

Population growth rate

2.71% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

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.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 35.6% of population | rural: 7.3% of population | total: 19.7% of population | urban: 64.4% of population | rural: 92.7% of population | total: 80.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years | male: 14 years | female: 11 years (2013)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.77 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 2.4% | male: 1.5% | female: 3.1% (2010 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 44.8% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 3.55% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River; Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso near the town of Koualou; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

Illicit drugs

transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations

Airports

6 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 171

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 5 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TY (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 112,392 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 805,347 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Cotonou | LNG terminal(s) (import): Cotonou

Railways

total: 438 km | narrow gauge: 438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 118

Roadways

total: 16,000 km | paved: 1,400 km | unpaved: 14,600 km (2006) | country comparison to the world: 120

Waterways

150 km (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 101