Benin  
   
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo.
Area: total: 114,763 sq km
land: 110,622 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
Natural Resources: Small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Population and Health
Population:  10,160,556 (July 2014 est.)
Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.8% (male 2,269,896/female 2,179,026)
15-24 years: 20.1% (male 1,036,963/female 1,001,400)
25-54 years: 29.9% (male 1,530,283/female 1,504,201)
55-64 years: 2.8% (male 149,883/female 205,701)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 112,830/female 170,373) (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.81% (2014 est.)
Birth rate:

36.51 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate:  8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
Sex ratio: 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 57.09 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 60.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 

total population: 61.07 years
male: 59.75 years
female: 62.47 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.04 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Current contraceptive use among married women 15-49 years old(any method) 13% (2007-2012)
Unmet need of contraceptive 27.3% (2006)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:  1.1% (2012)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:  71,500 (2012)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:  3,100 (2012)
Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.4%
male: 55.2%
female: 30.3% (2010 census)

Economy
GDP (purchasing power parity):  $16.65 billion (2013 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):  $8.359 billion (2013 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:  5% (2013 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):  $1,600 (2013 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 12.9%
services: 55.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:  3.662 million (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37.4% (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2013 est.)
Agriculture - products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock
Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (2013 est.)
Exports - commodities: cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood
Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Fiscal year:  Calendar year
Others
Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese

Religions: 

 Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)

Languages: 

 French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
Government type:  Republic
Capital: name: Porto-Novo (official capital)
geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Independence:  1 August 1960 (from France)
Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
 
 

 
 

Source :

UN_Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and other national surveys; United Nations Population Division
CIA The World Factbook

Update date: August 2014