Benin profile

Demography and Health

Benin is home to about 14.46 million people in 2024, reflecting a sizeable and youthful population. The country records a high birth rate of 33.9 births per 1,000 people and a crude death rate of 8.8 per 1,000, signaling rapid population growth with ongoing health and development needs. Life expectancy at birth stands at 60.8 years (2023), a moderate figure that underscores gaps in health outcomes and access to care. The under-5 mortality rate is markedly high at 77.9 per 1,000 live births, highlighting a significant burden of child health and nutrition challenges. Health system capacity appears strained: physicians are 0.195 per 1,000 people and hospital beds 0.45 per 1,000, indicating limited access to medical personnel and inpatient care for the population. Health spending remains modest, with current health expenditure at 2.68% of GDP (2022) and domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP, of US$20.3, suggesting room for greater public investment in health services and outcomes. Nutritional stress is evident with 10.3% of the population undernourished (2022). Digital access is expanding, as 32.2% of the population used the Internet in 2023, offering potential channels for health education and remote services, though substantial portions remain without connectivity. A modest net outward migration of 7,725 people in 2024 signals potential impact on labor supply and skills retention. Taken together, Benin faces meaningful health and demographic opportunities and challenges, where leveraging a young workforce through better health, nutrition, and education could drive growth if supported by strengthened health infrastructure and services.

Economy

Benin’s economy shows a low-to-middle income profile with a GDP per capita of US$1,485 in 2024 and a purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP per capita of US$4,435 (2024). Inflation remains low at 1.16% in 2024, signaling price stability in the near term. Unemployment is reported at 1.69% of the labor force in 2022, though this may reflect data limitations or a large informal sector rather than a fully formal job gap. The current account balance is negative at −8.18% of GDP in 2023, indicating a deficit that could be financed by capital inflows or reserve usage. Foreign direct investment (FDI), net inflows, amount to 2.25% of GDP in 2023, suggesting a moderate level of external investment, with potential for growth if the investment climate improves. The economy shows relatively modest tradable-sectors with exports of goods and services at 18.8% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 21.8% of GDP, implying a small but persistent trade orientation toward international markets and a current account gap that could be sensitive to external shocks. High-technology exports are small, totaling about US$1.7 million in 2023, indicating limited capacity in advanced manufacturing or ICT-enabled production. These macro indicators point to a low-income economy with challenges in diversification, productivity, and resilience, but also room to grow through policy reforms, investment, and human capital development.

Trade and Investment

Benin’s external trade shows exports representing 18.8% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 21.8% of GDP, reflecting a modestly open economy with a gap between inflows and outflows that can influence balance of payments stability. The country’s logistics performance index score of 2.5 (2022) suggests that trade and transport-related infrastructure, procedures, and efficiency leave room for improvement, potentially raising the cost and time of moving goods domestically and regionally. Net foreign direct investment inflows are 2.25% of GDP (2023), signaling a moderate level of investor interest but insufficient scale to drive rapid upgrading of productive capacity without targeted policy support. High-technology exports are relatively small (about US$1.7 million in 2023), indicating limited export sophistication and a potential area for growth if reforms, human capital development, and investment are aligned to technology-enabled sectors. Overall, Benin’s trade and investment environment presents openings for expansion and integration into regional value chains, but progress depends on improving infrastructure, governance, and the business environment to attract larger, quality-driven investment.

Governance and Institutions

Benin’s governance indicators for 2023 show substantive challenges across core institutions: Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism rank −0.347, Regulatory quality −0.296, Rule of Law −0.506, and Government effectiveness −0.219, all indicating governance performance below global averages. Control of corruption stands at −0.0496, suggesting only modest gains or mixed progress in curbing corruption. These negative or weak indicators point to underlying constraints in policy credibility, contract enforcement, public service delivery, and the ease of doing business. While the political environment may provide continuity, strengthening the rule of law, regulatory quality, and anti-corruption measures could yield broad benefits for investment, economic competitiveness, and public trust in institutions. The data imply a need for governance reforms that reduce policy uncertainty, improve public sector performance, and bolster institutions that underpin sustainable development and private sector growth.

Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure in Benin shows notable gaps in trade and transport-related capabilities, with a Logistics Performance Index of 2.5 on a 1–5 scale in 2022, signaling room for improvements in border procedures, transport networks, and overall logistics efficiency. Internet usage stands at 32.2% of the population in 2023, indicating growing digital connectivity but a substantial share of citizens remain unconnected, which can limit e-services, education, and business opportunities. Human capital dimensions reflect limited health infrastructure: physicians 0.195 per 1,000 people and hospital beds 0.45 per 1,000 people (2021–2022), underscoring need for expanded medical personnel and facilities to improve health outcomes and resilience. High-technology exports are relatively modest at US$1.7 million (2023), highlighting limited capabilities in high-tech manufacturing and ICT-enabled products. On the energy side, renewable energy accounts for 54.5% of total final energy consumption (2021), suggesting a favorable orientation toward cleaner energy sources and potential for scaling renewables with appropriate investment and grid modernization to support broader access and reliability. Collectively, Benin’s infrastructure and technology profile indicates a mix of progress and constraints, with digital inclusion, transport efficiency, health capacity, and technology-based export capacity as key priorities for policy focus.

Environment and Sustainability

Benin exhibits a mixture of environmental strengths and vulnerabilities. Renewable energy constitutes 54.5% of total final energy consumption (2021), signaling a relatively clean energy mix and potential for continued decarbonization through investment in renewables and modernization. The level of water stress, measured as freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, is high at 0.975 (2021), indicating substantial strain on water resources and the need for efficient water management, adaptation to climate variability, and sustainable water-use policies. Per-capita greenhouse gas emissions are 1.18 t CO2e (2023), a low absolute figure but with growth potential as the population expands and the economy develops. The prevalence of undernourishment stands at 10.3% (2022), emphasizing the ongoing challenge of food security and nutrition in the context of environmental pressures and economic constraint. Taken together, Benin’s environment and sustainability profile features a promising move toward renewables and climate resilience, tempered by water resource constraints and ongoing nutrition and development needs that require integrated policy action and investment to ensure long-term resilience and inclusive growth.