Country Name: Benin

Capital: Porto-Novo

Official Visa & Travel Information: Republic of Benin eVisa Portal (Visa Services)

Government Type: Presidential Republic

Background: Present day Benin is comprised of about 42 ethnic groups, including the Yoruba in the southeast, who migrated from what is now Nigeria in the 12th century; the Dendi in the north-central area, who came from Mali in the 16th century; the Bariba and the Fula in the northeast; the Ottamari in the Atakora mountains; the Fon in the area around Abomey in the south-central area; and the Mina, Xueda, and Aja, who came from Togo, on the coast. The Kingdom of Dahomey emerged on the Abomey plateau in the 17th century and was a regional power for much of the 18th and 19th centuries. Dahomey had an organized domestic economy, international trade with Europeans, and a highly organized military. The growth of Dahomey coincided with the growth of the Atlantic slave trade, and it became known as a major source of enslaved people. France began to control the coastal areas of Dahomey in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975.

A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent, who won a second five-year term in March 2011. Patrice TALON, a wealthy businessman, took office in 2016; the space for pluralism, dissent, and free expression has narrowed under his administration. TALON won a second term in April 2021.

Continent: Africa

Population: 14,219,908 (2023 est.)

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: 55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba are the most important indigenous languages in the south; half a dozen regionally important languages in the north, including Bariba (once counted as a Gur language) and Fulfulde

Religions: Muslim 27.7%, Roman 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.)

Economic Overview: Robust economic growth; slightly declining but still widespread poverty; strong trade relations with Nigeria; cotton exporter; COVID-19 has led to capital outflows and border closures; WAEMU member with currency pegged to the euro; recent fiscal deficit and debt reductions

Currency: West African CFA Franc (XOF)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: 

• $698.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)

• $57.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

• Comparison Ranking: 149

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $45.869 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate: 6.25% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per Capita: $3,400 (2022 est.)

Exports:

• $4.154 billion (2021 est.)

  • note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 141

Export Commodities: gold, cotton, cashews, refined petroleum, soybeans (2021)

Imports:

• $4.925 billion (2021 est.)

  • note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 151

Import Commodities: rice, cars, palm oil, electricity, cotton (2019)

Import Partners: China 28%, Thailand 9%, India 8%, Togo 6%, United States 5% (2019)

Natural Resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Agricultural Products: cassava, yams, maize, cotton, oil palm fruit, rice, pineapples, tomatoes, vegetables, soybeans

Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 7.89% (2022 est.)

  • note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 29

Labor Force: 4.797 million (2022 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment Rate: 1.48% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Geography:

• Total: 112,622 sq km

• Land: 110,622 sq km

• Water: 2,000 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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