BEN · BJ · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Benin
Benin had a population of 15,170,420 people in 2026, ranking 76 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 15,170,420 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #76/ 237 Africa #28 / 58
- Share of world population
- 0.18% 2026
- Density
- 134.5 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 18.2 years
- Life expectancy
- 61.32 years
Country or area overview
Benin is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 15,170,420 people, about 0.18% of the world total. It ranks #76 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 2,250,476 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 39,587,568 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 2.36%. The median age is 18.2. 40.9% of the population is under 15 and 3.2% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 61.32 and the total fertility rate is 4.34. Within Africa, it ranks #28 of 58 by population and #16 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Benin map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,144,778 | 1,111,182 | 2,255,960 | 14.87% |
| 5–9 | 1,049,511 | 1,022,770 | 2,072,281 | 13.66% |
| 10–14 | 953,706 | 929,086 | 1,882,792 | 12.41% |
| 15–19 | 820,052 | 797,928 | 1,617,980 | 10.67% |
| 20–24 | 698,007 | 678,673 | 1,376,680 | 9.07% |
| 25–29 | 596,501 | 582,087 | 1,178,588 | 7.77% |
| 30–34 | 514,333 | 505,416 | 1,019,749 | 6.72% |
| 35–39 | 430,197 | 428,675 | 858,872 | 5.66% |
| 40–44 | 357,400 | 362,723 | 720,123 | 4.75% |
| 45–49 | 283,257 | 292,772 | 576,029 | 3.80% |
| 50–54 | 225,365 | 237,798 | 463,163 | 3.05% |
| 55–59 | 179,766 | 193,364 | 373,130 | 2.46% |
| 60–64 | 138,263 | 152,229 | 290,492 | 1.91% |
| 65–69 | 96,323 | 109,411 | 205,734 | 1.36% |
| 70–74 | 62,145 | 72,971 | 135,116 | 0.89% |
| 75–79 | 36,525 | 45,267 | 81,792 | 0.54% |
| 80–84 | 17,166 | 25,465 | 42,631 | 0.28% |
| 85–89 | 5,862 | 9,441 | 15,303 | 0.10% |
| 90–94 | 1,178 | 2,341 | 3,519 | 0.02% |
| 95–99 | 123 | 335 | 458 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 6 | 25 | 31 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 15,170,420 people | 39,587,568 people | people |
| Male population | 7,610,462 people | 19,620,157 people | people |
| Female population | 7,559,958 people | 19,967,411 people | people |
| Population density | 134.5 people/km² | 351.1 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 100.7 | 98.3 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 18.2 | 32.9 | years |
| Natural change | 364,414 | 179,816 | people |
| Natural change rate | 24.02 ‰ | 4.54 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 358,091 | 162,370 | people |
| Population growth rate | 2.36% | 0.41% | % |
| Population doubling time | 29.4 | — | years |
| Births | 494,197 people | 604,119 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 58,742 | 29,105 | people |
| Birth rate | 32.58 ‰ | 15.26 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 4.34 | 2.14 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.834 | 0.998 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 29.02 | 29.37 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 104.2 | 104.3 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 129,783 people | 424,303 people | people |
| Male deaths | 68,047 | 224,173 | people |
| Female deaths | 61,736 | 200,130 | people |
| Death rate | 8.56 ‰ | 10.72 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 61.32 | 70.67 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 59.84 | 68.27 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 62.82 | 73.18 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 52.94 | 58.52 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.44 | 15.09 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.81 | 6.55 | years |
| Infant deaths | 24,795 | 13,632 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 50.25 ‰ | 22.56 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 474,005 | 591,955 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 36,881 | 18,984 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 75.56 ‰ | 31.38 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -6,318 | -17,451 | people |
| Net migration rate | -0.42 ‰ | -0.44 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Benin?
- In 2026, Benin had a population of 15,170,420 people. It ranks #76 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Benin changed?
- The population was 2,250,476 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 39,587,568 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Benin?
- The median age is 18.2. 40.9% of the population is under 15 and 3.2% is 65 or older.
- How does Benin compare within Africa?
- By total population, Benin ranks #28 of 58 in Africa and #76 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.