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WESTERN AFRICA

Benin

BJ

Porto-Novo · pop. 13M · French · West African CFA franc

hunger

191,106 people in crisis or worse

7% of the 2.8 million analysed · IPC, Nov 2025

Trajectories

economic complexity

#117

Sliding in the complexity rankings, from #99 in 1995.

2024 · −0.98

Harvard Growth Lab · thin line is the world’s median
the numbers30
whenvaluechange
1995high−0.59
1996−0.61−0.01 pts
1997−0.87−0.26 pts
1998−1.06−0.19 pts
1999−1.20−0.14 pts
2000−1.26−0.07 pts
2001−1.15+0.11 pts
2002−1.21−0.06 pts
2003−1.44−0.22 pts
2004−1.38+0.06 pts
2005−1.18+0.20 pts
2006−1.26−0.08 pts
2007−1.41−0.15 pts
2008−1.39+0.02 pts
2009−1.17+0.22 pts
2010−1.47−0.30 pts
2011low−1.61−0.14 pts
2012−1.32+0.29 pts
2013−1.16+0.16 pts
2014−0.75+0.41 pts
2015−0.92−0.18 pts
2016−1.32−0.40 pts
2017−0.84+0.48 pts
2018−0.64+0.20 pts
2019−1.25−0.61 pts
2020−0.90+0.35 pts
2021−0.99−0.09 pts
2022−0.91+0.08 pts
2023−1.02−0.11 pts
2024latest−0.98+0.04 pts

economic momentum

$1,485

Tripled since 2000. GDP per head in 2024, in current US dollars.

2024 · $1,485

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median
the numbers35
whenvaluechange
1990$371
1991$365−1.7%
1992$302−17.3%
1993$387+28.3%
1994low$262−32.3%
1995$348+32.9%
1996$369+6.0%
1997$345−6.7%
1998$362+4.9%
1999$525+45.2%
2000$487−7.2%
2001$492+1.0%
2002$546+11.0%
2003$676+23.7%
2004$759+12.2%
2005$779+2.7%
2006$809+3.8%
2007$912+12.8%
2008$1,061+16.3%
2009$1,024−3.4%
2010$973−5.0%
2011$1,059+8.9%
2012$1,072+1.1%
2013$1,169+9.1%
2014$1,204+3.0%
2015$1,002−16.8%
2016$1,011+0.8%
2017$1,055+4.4%
2018$1,152+9.2%
2019$1,131−1.8%
2020$1,200+6.1%
2021$1,319+9.9%
2022$1,266−4.0%
2023$1,394+10.1%
2024latest$1,485+6.5%

prices

1.2%

A year’s rise in consumer prices, in 2024. The world’s median was 3.1%.

2024 · 1.2%

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median
the numbers32
whenvaluechange
19930.4%
1994high38.5%+38.1 pts
199514.5%−24.1 pts
19964.9%−9.55 pts
19973.5%−1.45 pts
19985.8%+2.29 pts
19990.3%−5.43 pts
20004.2%+3.84 pts
20014.0%−0.18 pts
20022.5%−1.50 pts
20031.5%−1.00 pts
20040.9%−0.61 pts
20055.4%+4.49 pts
20063.8%−1.58 pts
20071.3%−2.48 pts
20087.9%+6.65 pts
20090.9%−7.05 pts
20102.2%+1.31 pts
20112.7%+0.50 pts
20126.7%+4.04 pts
20130.4%−6.32 pts
2014−0.5%−0.98 pts
20150.2%+0.77 pts
2016low−0.8%−1.01 pts
20170.0%+0.84 pts
20180.9%+0.88 pts
20190.7%−0.19 pts
20203.0%+2.29 pts
20211.7%−1.29 pts
20221.4%−0.38 pts
20232.7%+1.39 pts
2024latest1.2%−1.58 pts

demographic curve

4.5 children per woman

High fertility: the population is still expanding fast. Fell from 7.0 in 1980.

2024 · 4.5

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median · rule marks replacement (2.1)
the numbers65
whenvaluechange
19606.3
19616.4+1.9%
19626.5+0.9%
19636.5+0.8%
19646.6+0.8%
19656.6+0.6%
19666.6+0.3%
19676.6+0.3%
19686.7+0.4%
19696.7+0.5%
19706.7+0.4%
19716.8+0.5%
19726.8+0.5%
19736.8+0.1%
19746.8+0.2%
19756.8+0.1%
19766.80.0%
19776.80.0%
19786.8−0.1%
19796.9+1.2%
19807.0+1.2%
1981high7.1+1.0%
19827.10.0%
19837.0−0.1%
19847.0−0.2%
19857.0−0.4%
19867.0−0.6%
19876.9−0.6%
19886.9−0.7%
19896.8−0.8%
19906.7−1.1%
19916.7−1.1%
19926.6−1.1%
19936.5−1.3%
19946.4−1.4%
19956.3−1.4%
19966.3−0.8%
19976.2−0.8%
19986.1−1.5%
19996.0−1.7%
20005.9−1.6%
20015.8−1.5%
20025.8−0.9%
20035.8−0.5%
20045.7−0.8%
20055.7−0.5%
20065.7−0.3%
20075.6−0.8%
20085.5−1.4%
20095.5−1.0%
20105.5−0.7%
20115.4−0.3%
20125.4−0.1%
20135.4−0.3%
20145.4−0.7%
20155.3−1.0%
20165.3−1.2%
20175.2−1.9%
20185.0−2.4%
20194.9−2.6%
20204.8−2.1%
20214.7−1.8%
20224.6−1.6%
20234.6−1.7%
2024latest4.5−1.7%

Metrics

  1. population
    13M
    78 of 176
    REST Countries · UN data
  2. gdp
    $20B
    119 of 170
    World Bank · latest available
  3. gdp per capita
    $1,394
    140 of 170
    World Bank · latest available
  4. military spending
    $149M
    126 of 151
    SIPRI via World Bank
  5. military % of gdp
    0.8%
    124 of 148
    SIPRI via World Bank
  6. area
    113K km²
    104 of 176
    REST Countries
  7. population density
    115 /km²
    54 of 176
    zuhd — derived from population and area
  8. life expectancy
    60.8 yr
    166 of 175
    World Bank · latest available
  9. internet access
    32%
    142 of 166
    ITU via World Bank
  10. co₂ per capita
    0.49 t
    133 of 163
    World Bank · Climate Watch
  11. urbanisation
    53%
    114 of 168
    World Bank · UN DESA
  12. fertility rate
    4.5
    12 of 168
    World Bank · UN DESA
  13. foreign-born share
    2.9%
    96 of 167
    World Bank · UN DESA
  14. remittances % of gdp
    1.7%
    86 of 155
    World Bank · IMF BOP
  15. scientific articles / yr
    414
    102 of 168
    NSF / World Bank
  16. high-tech exports %
    31%
    9 of 153
    World Bank · UN Comtrade
  17. gini inequality
    34.4
    69 of 139
    World Bank · PovcalNet
  18. youth unemployment
    3%
    9 of 166
    ILO via World Bank
  19. adult literacy
    51%
    99 of 109
    UNESCO UIS via World Bank
  20. democracy (v-dem)
    0.32
    84 of 163
    V-Dem via Our World in Data
  21. clean government
    45
    58 of 164
    Transparency International via Our World in Data
  22. press freedom
    38.2
    99 of 163
    RSF via Our World in Data
  23. human development
    0.515
    144 of 164
    UNDP via Our World in Data
  24. refugees hosted
    16K
    84 of 150
    UNHCR via Our World in Data
  25. refugees produced
    1.1K
    95 of 152
    UNHCR via Our World in Data