Benin had an estimated population of 13,353,000 in 2023, with a population density of 118.4 people per square kilometre. The country was still growing quickly: the population growth rate averaged 2.3% in 2023, while 47.9% of residents lived in urban areas. These figures provide context for travel documents, consular planning, and understanding the population served by Benin’s public institutions.
Contents
- Population size and measurement
- Growth, urbanization, and fertility
- Age and sex structure
- Migration and mobility
- Life expectancy and health
- Education, connectivity, and essential services
- Economic and public indicators
Population size and measurement
Several official statistical series describe Benin’s population at different dates and use different measurement concepts. The UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 reported a 2023 population of 13,353,000. It also reported a 2023 population density of 118.4 people per km2 and a capital city population of 285,300. The capital-city figure is specifically for the capital and should not be treated as the country’s urban population.
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 series recorded a 2013 census population of 10,008,749. That census count included 4,887,820 males and 5,120,929 females. The same source gave a 2023–2024 mid-year population estimate of 12,910,087. A mid-year estimate and a census count are different statistical products, so they should be labelled by their reference date rather than compared as though they were identical observations.
The World Bank Benin country profile reported a 2024 population total of 14,462,724. This is another annual population total from a separate source series. For practical reading, the safest approach is to retain the source and date with every number: 13,353,000 for the UN Statistics Pocketbook’s 2023 figure, 12,910,087 for the UN World Population Prospects 2023–2024 mid-year estimate, and 14,462,724 for the World Bank’s 2024 total.
| Population measure | Value | Reference period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,353,000 | 2023 | UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 |
| Census population | 10,008,749 | 2013 | UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Mid-year population estimate | 12,910,087 | 2023–2024 | UN World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Population total | 14,462,724 | 2024 | World Bank Benin country profile |
| Population density | 118.4 people per km2 | 2023 | UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 |
Growth, urbanization, and fertility
Benin’s population growth rate averaged 2.7% in 2010, according to the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023. The average was 2.5% in 2015 and 2.3% in 2023. The sequence shows continued population growth alongside a lower reported average rate in the listed years. The World Bank Benin country profile separately reported population growth of 2.5% in 2024.
Urbanization increased across the three UN Statistics Pocketbook reference years. Urban residents represented 43.1% of the total population in 2010, 45.7% in 2015, and 47.9% in 2023. In other words, the reported share rose in each listed period, while the 2023 figure remained below half of the population.
Fertility also declined across the same series, although it remained high in 2023. The fertility rate was 5.4 births per woman in 2010, 5.3 births per woman in 2015, and 4.9 births per woman in 2023. These are period-specific rates from the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023, not a forecast of future births.
For readers comparing population indicators, the three measures describe different dimensions of demographic change. Population growth measures the rate at which the population changes; urban population share describes where residents live; and fertility measures births per woman. None of these figures alone describes the complete population outlook.
Age and sex structure
Benin had a young population profile in the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 data. People aged 0–14 represented 43.7% of the population in 2010, 43.2% in 2015, and 42.4% in 2023. The share therefore decreased across the listed years, but children and young adolescents still accounted for more than two-fifths of the population in 2023.
The share aged 60 and over was 4.8% in 2010, 4.8% in 2015, and 4.9% in 2023. This older-age share changed only slightly in the supplied observations. Together, the age figures show a population with a large younger segment and a comparatively small 60-plus segment in the reported years.
The 2013 census series from UN World Population Prospects 2024 counted 4,887,820 males and 5,120,929 females. Those figures are census counts for 2013 and should not be recast as a current sex distribution. The UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 also reported sex-specific life expectancy: in 2023, female life expectancy at birth was 61.7 years and male life expectancy was 58.3 years.
Migration and mobility
The UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 reported an international migrant stock of 309,200 in 2010, 366,300 in 2015, and 394,300 in 2023. These are stocks measured at the stated reference points, rather than annual counts of arrivals or departures. The 2023 figure is therefore a count of the international migrant stock for that period, not a measure of movement during the entire year.
The same source reported 7.3 thousand refugees and others of concern to UNHCR in 2010, 0.6 thousand in 2015, and 2.3 thousand in 2023. The categories and units matter: these values refer to refugees and others of concern to UNHCR, and they are expressed in thousands.
The World Bank Benin country profile reported net migration of -7,725 in 2024. A negative net-migration value indicates the reported balance was negative for that year; it is distinct from the international migrant stock figures above. The World Bank also reported personal remittances received at 1.1% of GDP in 2024, an economic measure associated with cross-border transfers rather than a population count.
Life expectancy and health
Life expectancy at birth improved in the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 series for both females and males. Female life expectancy was 59.7 years in 2010, 60.7 years in 2015, and 61.7 years in 2023. Male life expectancy was 57.0 years in 2010, 58.1 years in 2015, and 58.3 years in 2023. These figures are reported separately by sex and period.
The infant mortality rate was 69.6 per 1,000 live births in 2010, 63.1 per 1,000 live births in 2015, and 54.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023. The unit is births, not the total population, so this indicator should not be read as a percentage of all residents.
Health current expenditure was 3.0% of GDP in 2010, 2.7% in 2015, and 2.6% in 2023, according to the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023. The World Bank Benin country profile reported life expectancy at birth of 61 years in 2024. Since that World Bank value is not separated by sex, it should remain distinct from the female and male figures in the UN series.
The UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023 recorded 0.1 physicians per 1,000 population in 2010, 2015, and 2023. The repeated displayed value is the supplied precision; it does not establish that the underlying physician count was unchanged. The World Bank profile reported safely managed sanitation services for 16% of the population in 2024.
Education, connectivity, and essential services
Government education expenditure was 3.7% of GDP in 2010, 3.2% in 2015, and 3.2% in 2023, according to the UN Statistics Pocketbook 2023. In 2010, the primary gross enrolment ratio was 113.2 per 100 population for females and 126.9 per 100 population for males. These are gross enrolment ratios, so the values are expressed per 100 population in the source and are not a simple percentage of children enrolled within a single age cohort.
The World Bank Benin country profile reported access to electricity for 57.0% of the population in 2023. It reported internet usage of 34% of the population in 2024. The two measures use different reference years and concern different services: electricity access is a household or population service indicator, while internet usage describes use of the internet.
The World Bank profile also reported annual freshwater withdrawals equal to 1% of internal resources in 2022. Electricity production from renewable sources excluding hydroelectric power was 0.3% of total production in 2021. Forest area was 26.5% of land area in 2023, and carbon dioxide emissions excluding land use, land-use change, and forestry were 0.5 tons per capita in 2024.
These service and environmental figures are useful context for population statistics because population size does not by itself show access to infrastructure. Each indicator has its own denominator, unit, and reference year, so the dates should be retained when using them in travel, development, or public-service comparisons.
Economic and public indicators
The World Bank Benin country profile reported GDP of $21.48 billion in 2024 and GDP per capita of $1,485.4 in the same year. It reported GDP growth of 7.5% in 2024, consumer price inflation of 1.2% in 2024, and an unemployment rate of 1.6% in 2025. The unemployment figure therefore comes from a different year than the GDP, growth, and inflation figures.
The profile reported a poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 per day of 27.2% in 2021. This is a poverty measure tied to a specified daily threshold and year. It should not be combined with the 2024 GDP figures as though all indicators described the same period.
Women held 27% of national parliamentary seats in 2025. Benin’s Statistical Performance Indicators overall score was 71.0 in 2024. Foreign direct investment net inflows were 2.5% of GDP in 2024. These indicators describe representation, statistical capacity, and investment flows respectively; they are not direct measures of population size.
For a concise population profile, the central figures are the dated population totals, 2.3% population growth in 2023 from the UN Statistics Pocketbook, 47.9% urban population in 2023, a fertility rate of 4.9 births per woman in 2023, and a 2024 World Bank population total of 14,462,724. The surrounding age, health, migration, service, and economic measures explain how Benin’s population is structured and the conditions in which residents live.