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Benin
Benin provides national context for a visit or move. Read its sourced introduction and dated national indicators, then compare individual cities for seasonal weather, housing and daily journeys. National averages cannot establish the costs, services or conditions of a particular neighbourhood.
Compare relocation preferencesGet to know Benin
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, formerly known as Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the northwest, and Niger to the northeast. The majority of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 112,622 km2 , and its population in 2026 was estimated to be approximately 15 million. It is a tropical country with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture and the exports of palm oil and cotton. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, political entities in the area included the Kingdom of Dahomey, the city-state of Porto Novo, and other states to the north. France took over the territory in 1894, incorporating it into French West Africa as French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France.
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Planning a move or a longer stay
National averages are a starting point, not a neighbourhood budget. Shortlist specific places in Benin, compare housing for your dates and check the journey to work, school or the activities that matter to you.
For a move, confirm residence and work requirements with the relevant government authority for your nationality. For a holiday, compare transport, accommodation and daily spending separately.
Understanding national conditions
These figures describe Benin as a whole. Check the dates when comparing these national indicators with current local conditions.
Fixed broadband / internet quality
34 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
40 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Limited confidence. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
39.7 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
4,760 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
44.8 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
61 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
135.7 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2022. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
1.1 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2017. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
10.8 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 1979. Older figure — excluded from recommendations. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Education system (national)
51.8 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →