Benin: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Also Known As	Republic of Benin • People’s Republic of Benin • Dahomey • République du Bénin • Republic of Dahomey
Head Of State And Government	President: Patrice Talon¹
Capital	Porto-Novo²
Population	(2024 est.) 13,844,000
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [83])
Official Language	French
Official Religion	none
Official Name	République du Bénin (Republic of Benin)
Total Area (Sq Km)	114,763
Total Area (Sq Mi)	44,310
Monetary Unit	CFA franc (CFAF)
Population Rank	(2023) 78
Population Projection 2030	16,776,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2024) 312.4
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2024) 120.6
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 50.7% • Rural: (2024) 49.3%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 60.4 years • Female: (2022) 64.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 57% • Female: (2021) 35%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 19,700
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 1,440
¹The office of prime minister, vacant from May 1998, was filled in May 2011, was vacant from August 2013 until being filled in June 2015, and then vacant again from April 2016; the post of prime minister is not required per the constitution.²Porto-Novo, the official capital established under the constitution, is the seat of the legislature, but the president and most government ministers reside in Cotonou.