
Population growth in Benin
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Benin increased from 2.43 million to 13.00 million people. This is a growth of 434.5 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Benin was recorded in 2015 with 6.28 percent. The smallest increase in 1961 with 1.41 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Benin fell by 1.30 years from 2012 to 2021 from 18.30 to 17.00 years (median value).
Around 49 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.9 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Benin
Population development in Benin since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Benin | Change Benin | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 2.47 M | 1.41 % | 44.7 ‰ | 28.3 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 2.50 M | 1.50 % | 45.1 ‰ | 27.7 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 2.54 M | 1.60 % | 45.5 ‰ | 27.2 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 2.59 M | 1.69 % | 45.8 ‰ | 26.6 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 2.63 M | 1.79 % | 46.1 ‰ | 26.0 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 2.68 M | 1.89 % | 46.3 ‰ | 25.5 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 2.74 M | 1.98 % | 46.5 ‰ | 24.9 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 2.79 M | 2.06 % | 46.6 ‰ | 24.4 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 2.85 M | 2.12 % | 46.7 ‰ | 24.0 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 2.91 M | 2.16 % | 46.8 ‰ | 23.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 2.98 M | 2.21 % | 46.9 ‰ | 23.1 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 3.04 M | 2.25 % | 47.0 ‰ | 22.7 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 3.11 M | 2.30 % | 47.1 ‰ | 22.3 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 3.19 M | 2.37 % | 47.1 ‰ | 21.8 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 3.27 M | 2.44 % | 47.2 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 3.35 M | 2.51 % | 47.3 ‰ | 21.0 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 3.43 M | 2.58 % | 47.3 ‰ | 20.6 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 3.52 M | 2.64 % | 47.3 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 3.62 M | 2.68 % | 47.3 ‰ | 19.8 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 3.72 M | 2.73 % | 47.3 ‰ | 19.5 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 3.82 M | 2.77 % | 47.3 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 3.93 M | 2.82 % | 47.3 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 4.04 M | 2.86 % | 47.2 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 4.16 M | 2.89 % | 47.1 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 4.28 M | 2.93 % | 47.0 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 4.40 M | 2.95 % | 46.9 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 4.54 M | 2.97 % | 46.7 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 4.67 M | 3.03 % | 46.5 ‰ | 15.7 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 4.82 M | 3.15 % | 46.3 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 4.98 M | 3.29 % | 46.0 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 5.15 M | 3.43 % | 45.7 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 5.33 M | 3.54 % | 45.4 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 5.52 M | 3.56 % | 45.1 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 5.71 M | 3.49 % | 44.7 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 5.91 M | 3.35 % | 44.4 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 6.09 M | 3.20 % | 44.0 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 6.28 M | 3.07 % | 43.6 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 6.47 M | 3.00 % | 43.2 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 6.66 M | 3.00 % | 42.8 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 6.87 M | 3.03 % | 42.4 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 7.08 M | 3.07 % | 42.0 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 7.30 M | 3.09 % | 41.7 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 7.52 M | 3.09 % | 41.3 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 7.75 M | 3.05 % | 41.0 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 7.98 M | 3.00 % | 40.7 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 8.22 M | 2.94 % | 40.4 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 8.45 M | 2.90 % | 40.2 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 8.70 M | 2.86 % | 39.9 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 8.94 M | 2.85 % | 39.6 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 9.20 M | 2.85 % | 39.3 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 9.46 M | 2.84 % | 38.9 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 9.73 M | 2.84 % | 38.6 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 10.00 M | 2.83 % | 38.2 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 10.29 M | 2.82 % | 39.2 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 10.93 M | 6.28 % | 39.0 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 11.26 M | 2.99 % | 38.9 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 11.60 M | 2.99 % | 38.7 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 11.94 M | 2.97 % | 38.2 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 12.29 M | 2.93 % | 37.7 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 12.64 M | 2.87 % | 37.1 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 13.00 M | 2.80 % | 36.6 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Benin
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Benin increased by about 354,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 9.4 per 1,000 people (~ 119,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 36.6 per 1,000 people (~ 463,000 births). As a result, around 10,000 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 109,041 in Benin. The number of births was 433,859 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate