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POPULATION STATISTICS: historical demography of all countries, their divisions and towns

About this siteFrequently Asked QuestionsLinks to other sitesRemarks on the dataSources used for the dataRecent updates of the data
map of Benin; source WRBENIN

general data of the country

 
General useful information
 
Note: some data are of constant value, while other are due to changes, fluctuations etc.
 
Nation and population
 
official name (short form): Benin
country code ISO: BJ [BEN] //; - FIPS: BN
location: Western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea
time zone: +1 UT
surface (land) area: 110620 sq.km = 42710 sq.mi //; - area incl. inland waters: 112622 sq.km = 43472 sq.mi
geographical position in extreme co-ordinates: North: 12° N / South: 7° N / East: 4° E / West: 1° E
borders (land): Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria
borders (coastline): the Bight of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean
climate: tropical
Government
independent since: 1960-08-01 (1960-11-30)
type of government: republic
capital: Porto Novo
administrative division: département (6) ; région (12)
Population
population according to the latest census: (1992): 4855,349 // or: 4915,555
total population according to the estimate of midyear 2000: 6395,919 //; or: 6272,000; 2001: 6292,000 ; 2002: 6552,000
population density: 57 per sq.km = 147 per sq.mi
population growth: 3% //; - doubling time: 21 years
birth rate: 44 - 49 per 1000
death rate: 13 -18 per 1000
fertility rate: 6 children per female
maternal mortality: 1680 per 100,000
infant mortality (in the first year of life): 151 per 1000
infant mortality (from 1st - 4th year of life): 93 - 103 per 1000
life expectancy: 50 - 57 years (male: 49 - 56; female: 51 - 60)
age breakdown: 0-14 years: 47% //; - 15-59 years: 49% //; - 60+ years: 4%
urbanisation: 42% //; - urbanisation growth: 5%
percentage of urban population in the greatest city: 63%
Ethnic composition, language, religion
ethnic groups: Fon 39-66%; Bariba 8-10%; Yoruba 9-12%; Adja 11%; Houeda 9%; Fulbe 6%; Somba 5%
languages: French (official); Fon 47%; Yoruba, Mina, Bariba, Dendi, Hausa, Fulani, Adja, Aizo and ca 50 other tribal languages
religious affiliation: traditional 61%, Christian 23%, Islam (mainly Sunnî) 15%
Health
daily food intake: 2571 calories per capita
population with access to safe water: 50% [FW 2000: 50%]
people per physician: 11500 - 15000
people per hospital bed:
Education, literacy
school enrolment: primary education 6-11 years: 61%
school enrolment: secondary education: 11% [FW 2001: 20%]
school enrolment: tertiary education 20-24 years: 3%
adult literacy: 41% (male: 51%; female: 29%) [FW 2000: m: 52% ; f: 24%]
 
Economy and infrastructure
 
Economy and trade
currency: Franc CFA = 100 centimes
annual inflation rate: 8%
population below poverty line: 33-46%
Gross Domestic Product: USD 2320 per capita
GNI USD 370 - 380 per capita //; - [ppp: 980 - 1060]
GDP growth: 2%
income: USD 380 per capita
import: USD 408 per capita //; - export: USD 43 per capita
trade: USD 156 per capita //; - or 45% of GDP
trade partners: FR NL GB US ES DE CN BR LY ID TH IN
human development index: 0,42 //; - position of the country in the world no.: 147
female labour force: 48%
unemployment: 2%
tourism: 0,15 million
Economic activities in agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, services, energy
land use: arable land: 17% //; - grass land: 4% //; - wooded area: 31% //; - arid land and desert: %
agriculture: labour force: 70% [FW 2001: 53%] //; - part of agriculture in GDP: 37%
agricultural products: cocos, corn, manioc, sorghum, cotton
livestock (million): asses: / camels: / cattle: 1,55 / goats: 1,27 / pigs: 0,5 / poultry: 10-27 / sheep: 0,6
fish catch: 32324 - 38542 metric tonnes
industry: labour force: 7% //; - part of industry in GDP: 14%
industrial products: cement & construction materials, textiles, food, beverages, petroleum
mining products: gold, marble, limestone, oil
CO2 emission per capita: 0,1
services: labour force: 23% //; - part of services in GDP: 49%
energy use (kg per capita): 323
electricity use (per capita): 53
annual water use (per capita): 26
Traffic, communication
road network: 6787 or 8460 km //; - of which paved: 31% //; - of which are motorways: 10 km
vehicles: 8 per 1000 // international license plate: DY
railways: 458 - 636 km //; - railways passenger/km: 107
navigable inland waterways: 0 km
ownership telephone: 5 - 9 per 1000 // international dialling code: +229
ownership radio receivers: 73 - 110 per 1000
ownership tv-sets: 4 - 11 per 1000
newspaper circulation: 2 per 1000
persons per post office: 34700
personal computers: 1,6 per 1000
 
Some physical landmarks
 
mountains: Atakora 641 m
lowest point: sea level
lakes (natural): L. Nokoué
lakes (artificial reservoirs): unknown
lakes (deepest): unknown
rivers: Ouémé
canals: unknown
waterfalls: unknown
caves: longest system: unknown / deepest:
islands: none
deserts: none
other natural features:
 
Additional remarks, especially on the statistical information
 
other important features:
apart from physical landmarks most of the above figures are changeable, in most cases they date from the 1990's
 
primary sources used for the general information:
BB CA DK EV FW PW WA WB WR, and some - local national or international - statistical yearbooks
particulars concerning population data:
 

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Latest modification of this page on 2004-12-21 by Jan Lahmeyer
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