Benin Demographics

Population of Benin (2025)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Benin

Benin Population
14,814,460
see live
Yearly Change
+2.43%
Global Share
0.18%
Global Rank
76

Median Age

The median age in Benin is 18 years (2025).

Fertility in Benin

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.4
(Live Births per Woman, 2025)

Life Expectancy in Benin

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
61.1
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
62.6
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
59.7
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Benin


Infant Mortality
50.9
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
76.5
(per 1,000 live births)


Benin Urban Population

Currently, 47.8% of the population of Benin is urban (7,076,087 people in 2025)


Population Density

The 2025 population density in Benin is 131 people per Km2 (340 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 112,760 Km2 (43,537 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Benin

# City Population
1 Cotonou 679,012
2 Abomey-Calavi 385,755
3 Porto-Novo 264,320
4 Parakou 255,478
5 Godome 253,262
6 Abomey 117,824
7 Djougou 94,773
8 Bohicon 93,744
9 Ekpe 75,313
10 Nikki 66,109
11 Malanville 64,639
12 Kandi 56,043
13 Kerou 54,276
14 Natitingou 53,284
15 Pobe 49,232
16 Ouidah 47,616
17 Lokossa 47,246
18 Bassila 46,569
19 Tchaourou 43,862
20 Cove 43,554
21 Sakete 43,541
22 Come 42,586
23 Misserete 41,657
24 Dogbo 41,341
25 Ketou 39,626
26 Savalou 38,162
27 Banikoara 37,571
28 Pehonko 37,217
29 Kalale 35,513
30 Sinende 35,267

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.