Population:
10,741,458
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 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Population country ranks ]

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

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.)

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

Religions:
Muslim 27.7%, 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.)

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.

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.04% (male 2,358,838/female 2,264,204)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 20.32% (male 1,110,607/female 1,072,196)
[see also: Age structure 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 30.24% (male 1,641,547/female 1,606,185)
[see also: Age structure 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 3.56% (male 165,496/female 217,192)
[see also: Age structure 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 2.84% (male 120,629/female 184,564) (2016 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]
population pyramid:
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 82%
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 76.7%
[see also: Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio country ranks ]
elderly dependency ratio: 5.3%
[see also: Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio country ranks ]
potential support ratio: 19% (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - potential support ratio country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 18 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 17.7 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 18.4 years (2016 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 215

Population growth rate:
2.75% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
35.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 44% of total population (2015)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 3.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth:
20.3
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011/12 est.)
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
405 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.2 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - total country ranks ]
male: 57.3 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 51 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 25

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.9 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - total country ranks ]
male: 60.5 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 63.3 years (2016 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 195

Total fertility rate:
4.86 children born/woman (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
12.9% (2011/12)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 154
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
0.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: urban: 85.2% of population rural: 72.1% of population total: 77.9% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - Improved - total country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 14.8% of population rural: 27.9% of population total: 22.1% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Drinking water source - Unimproved - total country ranks ]

Sanitation facility access:
improved: urban: 35.6% of population rural: 7.3% of population total: 19.7% of population
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total Improved country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 64.4% of population rural: 92.7% of population total: 80.3% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total UnImproved country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.06% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
69,100 (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,800 (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

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)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
8.1% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 151
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
18% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 30
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
4.3% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 64
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.4%
[see also: Literacy - total country ranks ]
male: 49.9%
[see also: Literacy - male country ranks ]
female: 27.3% (2015 est.)
[see also: Literacy - female country ranks ]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
[see also: School life expectancy - total country ranks ]
male: 14 years
[see also: School life expectancy - male country ranks ]
female: 11 years (2013)
[see also: School life expectancy - female country ranks ]

Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 1,020,981
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - total number country ranks ]
percentage: 46% (2006 est.)
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - percentage country ranks ]

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 2.4%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - total country ranks ]
male: 1.5%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ]
female: 3.1% (2010 est.)