What is the population of Benin in 2026?
Benin has a population of 14,814,460 people (2025 estimate), which is 76th in the world and about 0.18% of the global total.
Officially Republic of Benin
Population 2025
14,814,460
0.18% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+2.40%
+355,991 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
125/km²
112,760 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
18.0 years
Life expectancy 61.0 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Benin
With a population of 14,814,460, Benin ranks 76th globally and is experiencing rapid growth of 2.4% annually, driven by a fertility rate of 4.5 births per woman and a median age of just 18 years. The country spans 112,760 km² across West Africa, bordered by Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo, with a population density of 125 people per km². Just over half the population is urban.
Life expectancy stands at 61 years, while GDP per capita is $1,658. French is the official language, and the West African CFA franc serves as currency. Benin became independent in 1960 and operates as a republic, with Porto-Novo as its capital city.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- ISO codes
- BJ · BEN
- Demonym
- Beninese
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF Fr)
- Government
- Republic
- State inception
- 1960
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +229
- Internet TLD
- .bj
- Land neighbours
- 4
Languages
- French
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 41.6%
- Age 15–64
- 55.3%
- Age 65+
- 3.1%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 7 | 23 |
| 95-99 | 116 | 314 |
| 90-94 | 1,087 | 2,172 |
| 85-89 | 5,391 | 8,712 |
| 80-84 | 16,091 | 23,861 |
| 75-79 | 34,041 | 44,337 |
| 70-74 | 57,808 | 67,994 |
| 65-69 | 88,394 | 100,620 |
| 60-64 | 127,729 | 141,064 |
| 55-59 | 168,855 | 181,894 |
| 50-54 | 211,935 | 224,151 |
| 45-49 | 261,726 | 271,848 |
| 40-44 | 333,248 | 339,889 |
| 35-39 | 405,594 | 406,695 |
| 30-34 | 483,161 | 476,144 |
| 25-29 | 570,718 | 557,326 |
| 20-24 | 660,907 | 641,918 |
| 15-19 | 780,063 | 757,269 |
| 10-14 | 902,403 | 878,610 |
| 5-9 | 1,026,793 | 1,000,942 |
| 0-4 | 1,116,500 | 1,084,374 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,250,476 |
| 1960 | 2,517,286 |
| 1970 | 3,065,057 |
| 1980 | 3,925,251 |
| 1990 | 5,281,479 |
| 2000 | 7,221,619 |
| 2010 | 9,797,484 |
| 2020 | 13,070,169 |
| 2030 | 16,618,822 |
| 2040 | 20,445,760 |
| 2050 | 24,433,809 |
| 2060 | 28,272,760 |
| 2070 | 31,879,283 |
| 2080 | 35,063,024 |
| 2090 | 37,651,974 |
| 2100 | 39,587,568 |
How Benin Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Benin | 14.8M |
Countries Bordering Benin
4 land borders.
- Burkina Faso24.1M · +2.21%
- Niger27.9M · +3.22%
- Nigeria237.5M · +2.06%
- Togo8.59M · +2.18%
Benin Population FAQ
Is the population of Benin growing or shrinking?
Benin's population is growing at +2.40% per year, a change of roughly 355,991 people annually.
What is the capital of Benin?
The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo.
How densely populated is Benin?
Benin has 125/km² across 112,760 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Benin?
Life expectancy at birth in Benin is 61.0 years (2024).
What is the median age in Benin?
The median age in Benin is 18.0 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Benin in?
Benin is in Africa.