Demographics of Benin

The demographics of Benin include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The majority of Benin's 13.3 million people live in the south. The population is young, with a life expectancy of 62 years.
About 42 African ethnic groups live in this country; these various groups settled in Benin at different times and have also migrated within the country. Ethnic groups include:

the Yoruba in the southeast ;
the Dendi in the north-central area ;
the Bariba and the Fula (or Fulani) in the northeast;
the Betammaribe and the Somba in the Atacora Range;
the Fon in the area around Abomey in the South Central; and
the Mina, Xweda, and Aja on the coast.
the Ewe people on the coast

French is the official language but is spoken more in urban than in rural areas. The literacy rate is 54% among adult males and 31% among adult females as of 2018; these rates are slowly growing. Recent migrations have brought other African nationals to Benin, including Nigerians, Togolese and Malians. The foreign community also includes many Lebanese and Indians involved in trade and commerce. The personnel of the many European embassies, foreign aid missions, nongovernmental organizations and missionary groups account for much of the 5,500 European population.
Several religions are practiced in Benin. Traditional African religions are widespread, and their practices vary from one ethnic group to the other. Arab merchants introduced Islam in the north and among the Yoruba. European missionaries brought Christianity to the south and central areas of Benin. Muslims account for 20% of the population and Christians for 30%. Many nominal Muslims and Christians continue to practice traditional African religion traditions. It is believed that West African Vodun originated in Benin and was introduced to Brazil and the Caribbean Islands by slaves taken from this particular area of the Slave Coast.

Population

According to the total population of Benin was in, compared to only 2,255,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 43.7%; 53.3% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3% were of 65 years or older.

	Total population	Population aged 0–14	Population aged 15–64	Population aged 65+
1950	2 255 000	35.2	57	7.8
1955	2 302 000	37.0	56.6	6.3
1960	2 420 000	38.4	56.1	5.5
1965	2 602 000	40.7	54.3	5
1970	2 850 000	42.7	52.7	4.6
1975	3 182 000	44.2	51.4	4.4
1980	3 611 000	45.2	50.7	4.0
1985	4 140 000	45.9	50.4	3.7
1990	4 773 000	46.2	50.4	3.4
1995	5 651 000	45.5	51.3	3.1
2000	6 518 000	45.6	51.4	3.0
2005	7 634 000	44.6	52.4	3.0
2010	8 850 000	43.7	53.3	3.0

Age group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	4 446 877	4 620 199	9 067 076	100
0–4	828 064	801 448	1 629 512	17.97
5–9	675 912	659 254	1 335 166	14.73
10–14	572 756	564 312	1 137 068	12.54
15–19	553 241	527 958	1 081 199	11.92
20–24	398 920	369 026	767 946	8.47
25–29	291 598	317 891	609 489	6.72
30–34	227 400	310 493	537 893	5.93
35–39	213 385	281 234	494 619	5.46
40–44	175 956	202 155	378 111	4.17
45–49	142 056	166 810	308 866	3.41
50–54	110 074	122 576	232 650	2.57
55–59	82 190	89 780	171 970	1.90
60–64	64 968	70 800	135 768	1.50
65-69	35 915	39 619	75 534	0.83
70-74	36 511	46 229	82 740	0.91
75-79	15 591	20 862	36 453	0.40
80+	22 340	29 752	52 092	0.57
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	2 076 732	2 025 014	4 101 746	45.24
15–64	2 259 788	2 458 723	4 718 511	52.04
65+	110 357	136 462	246 819	2.72

Age group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	5 832 926	6 024 701	11 857 627	100
0–4	940 701	900 981	1 841 682	15.53
5–9	849 322	827 010	1 676 332	14.14
10–14	849 093	828 651	1 677 744	14.15
15–19	700 987	665 779	1 366 766	11.53
20–24	539 908	515 230	1 055 138	8.90
25–29	405 041	468 706	873 747	7.37
30–34	333 366	445 579	778 945	6.57
35–39	298 390	364 433	662 823	5.59
40–44	245 129	279 544	524 673	4.42
45–49	204 983	214 033	419 016	3.53
50–54	136 813	139 819	276 632	2.33
55–59	120 528	130 415	250 943	2.12
60–64	65 462	67 250	132 712	1.12
65-69	62 527	72 418	134 945	1.14
70-74	31 651	37 112	68 763	0.58
75-79	24 810	33 122	57 932	0.49
80+	24 217	34 620	58 837	0.50
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	2 639 116	2 556 642	5 195 758	43.82
15–64	3 050 605	3 290 787	6 341 392	53.48
65+	143 205	177 272	320 477	2.70

Vital statistics

Benin's registration of vital events is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations has prepared the following estimates. Population estimates account for under numeration in population censuses.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects, 2022

Demographic and Health Surveys

Total Fertility Rate and Crude Birth Rate :

Year	CBR	TFR	CBR	TFR	CBR	TFR
1996	42.2	6.32	37.8	5.24	44.8	7.02
2001	41.1	5.6	36.0	4.4	43.8	6.4
2006	41.5	5.7	38.7	4.9	43.0	6.3
2011–12	33.3	4.9	33.1	4.3	33.3	5.4
2017–18	40.5	5.7	39.1	5.2	41.6	6.1

Fertility data as of 2011-2012 :

Department	Total fertility rate	Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant	Mean number of children ever born to women age 40-49
Alibori	5.8	15.0	6.4
Atacora	5.8	9.1	6.0
Atlantique	5.1	9.2	4.8
Borgou	5.2	9.3	5.2
Collines	4.7	8.1	5.8
Couffo	5.1	11.7	6.0
Donga	4.7	11.0	6.0
Littoral	3.6	6.3	3.4
Mono	4.6	10.8	4.7
Ouémé	5.2	10.0	5.1
Plateau	5.3	7.3	4.9
Zou	5.0	10.2	5.1

Ethnic groups

There are several dozen ethnolinguistic groups in Benin, representing three of Africa's language families: Niger–Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afroasiatic. The latter is represented by Hausa, living mostly as merchants in the north, while Nilo-Saharan is represented by the Dɛndi people, descending from the Songhai Empire. The Songhay language Dɛndi predominates along the Niger River in the far north, and is used as a lingua franca in Muslim areas throughout the north, in Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces. Of the Niger–Congo family, five branches are represented:

Mande by the Boko or Busa, now in the far eastern corner, but previously more widely spread before being largely absorbed by the Bariba
Senegambian by the nomadic Fulani scattered across the northeast
Benue–Congo by the Yoruba such as those of the old kingdom of Sakete, and the capital city of Porto-Novo, having expanded west from the Yoruba cities of Oyo and Ife in the 12th to 19th centuries
Gur (Voltaic) languages predominate in the four northern provinces, with the Batɔmbu (Bariba) of the old Borgou (Bariba) Kingdom occupying most of the countryside in its successor provinces of Borgou and Alibori, as well as the provincial capital of Parakou; the Yom throughout much of Donga province and its capital Djougou; and several groups in the Atakora, including the Bɛtamaribɛ of the Otammari country around the provincial capital of Natitingou, the Biali, the Waama of Tanguiéta, and the Gulmàceba.
Kwa, especially the Gbe languages spoken by the Tado peoples in the southern and central provinces: the Aja who established themselves in Kouffo province from neighboring Togo and gave rise to the other Tado peoples of Benin, except for the Mina of Mono province, who arrived separately from Togo or Ghana: The Fɔn culture centered in Zou province around the old Fɔn capital of Abomey, but also dominant in Cotonou and southern Atlantique areas such as Ouidah; the Maxi in central Collines, especially around Savalou; the Ayizɔ of central Atlantique ; the Xwla and Xueda in the lagoons of the coast; the Tɔfin of Ouémé; and the Gun. Other Kwa languages are spoken by the Anii in southern Donga in the region of Bassila, and the Fooɖo in western Donga near the town of Ouaké.

The largest ethnic group are the Fon, with 1.7 million speakers of the Fon language, followed by the various Yoruba groups, the Aja, the Bariba, the Ayizo, the Fulani, and the Gun. Near the ports in the south can be found many people who are descended from returned Brazilian slaves.

Languages

Over 50 languages are spoken in Benin. The official language is French. Of the many indigenous African languages, Fon and Yoruba are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major languages, including Baatonum and Fulani.