Rank #21 by World Population
🇧🇯Benin
Benin has a population of 14,111,034, ranking #21 in the world. The capital is Porto-Novo. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .
World Bank: Lower middle income
14,111,034
Population
#21
World Rank
60.8
Life Expectancy
$1,394
GDP Per Capita
Benin, #21 by world population
Benin Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Benin had a population of 2,517,286 in 1960 and 14,462,724 in 2024, a 5.7× growth over 64 years. The peak was 14,462,724 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.77%.
14,462,724
Population (2024)
2,517,286
Population (1960)
14,462,724
Peak (2024)
2.77%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,517,286 |
| 1961 | 2,559,223 |
| 1962 | 2,604,659 |
| 1963 | 2,652,908 |
| 1964 | 2,704,003 |
| 1965 | 2,757,936 |
| 1966 | 2,814,317 |
| 1967 | 2,872,997 |
| 1968 | 2,934,257 |
| 1969 | 2,998,222 |
| 1970 | 3,065,057 |
| 1971 | 3,134,767 |
| 1972 | 3,207,543 |
| 1973 | 3,283,496 |
| 1974 | 3,362,633 |
| 1975 | 3,445,407 |
| 1976 | 3,532,196 |
| 1977 | 3,623,202 |
| 1978 | 3,718,305 |
| 1979 | 3,818,528 |
| 1980 | 3,925,251 |
| 1981 | 4,038,307 |
| 1982 | 4,156,596 |
| 1983 | 4,278,978 |
| 1984 | 4,405,895 |
| 1985 | 4,538,012 |
| 1986 | 4,675,420 |
| 1987 | 4,818,486 |
| 1988 | 4,967,341 |
| 1989 | 5,121,657 |
| 1990 | 5,281,479 |
| 1991 | 5,446,932 |
| 1992 | 5,617,844 |
| 1993 | 5,872,706 |
| 1994 | 6,096,506 |
| 1995 | 6,226,773 |
| 1996 | 6,391,858 |
| 1997 | 6,583,365 |
| 1998 | 6,789,489 |
| 1999 | 7,002,818 |
| 2000 | 7,221,619 |
| 2001 | 7,445,596 |
| 2002 | 7,675,426 |
| 2003 | 7,913,070 |
| 2004 | 8,159,094 |
| 2005 | 8,426,144 |
| 2006 | 8,693,242 |
| 2007 | 8,953,969 |
| 2008 | 9,228,466 |
| 2009 | 9,509,423 |
| 2010 | 9,797,484 |
| 2011 | 10,093,623 |
| 2012 | 10,397,657 |
| 2013 | 10,708,834 |
| 2014 | 11,030,004 |
| 2015 | 11,360,681 |
| 2016 | 11,697,842 |
| 2017 | 12,039,780 |
| 2018 | 12,383,347 |
| 2019 | 12,726,755 |
| 2020 | 13,070,169 |
| 2021 | 13,413,417 |
| 2022 | 13,759,501 |
| 2023 | 14,111,034 |
| 2024 | 14,462,724 |
Demographics
| Population | 14,111,034 |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.52% |
| Urban Population | 51.7% |
| Fertility Rate | 4.56 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 60.8 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 46.5 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 43.8% |
Economy & Trade
$1,394
GDP Per Capita
1.6%
Unemployment Rate
Lower middle income
Income Level
44.7%
Trade (% of GDP)
Health & Education
3.3%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
0.22
Physicians per 1,000
3.2%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
43.8%
Literacy Rate
46.5
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
57.0%
Electricity Access
30.5%
Internet Users
95
Mobile Subs per 100
125.1
People per km2
-192
Net Migration
Environment
26.5%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Compare Benin
Benin in global context
Benin is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Benin has a population of 14,111,034, ranking #21 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.52%.
Life expectancy in Benin is 60.8 years. The infant mortality rate is 46.5 per 1,000 live births.
Benin's GDP per capita is $1,394. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.
51.7% of Benin's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 125.1 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in Benin is 43.8%. The country spends 3.2% of GDP on education.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.