Sub-Saharan Africa

Benin: official statistics and sources

17 official bodies for Benin, from Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) to Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: French. Capital: Porto-Novo.

Who holds power in Benin

• Head of state: Romuald Wadagni (Président de la République du Bénin, Chef de l'État, Chef du Gouvernement)
• Head of government: Romuald Wadagni (Chef du Gouvernement de la République du Bénin)
• Foreign minister: Corinne Amori Brunet (Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l'Intégration des Afrodescendents de la République du Bénin)

Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.

Unitary presidential republic. How local power works in Benin: 3 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.

Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.

Government, regions and cities

• Government and power in Benin: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
• All 12 departments: Atlantique, Borgou, Ouémé, Alibori, Zou…
• The 3 largest cities: Cotonou, Porto-Novo

Key figures

What the figures show

World Bank data give a population of 14.8 million for Benin in 2025, against 11.4 million in 2015. It ranks 25th of 48 in the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region and 75th of 193 worldwide.

Benin's economy produced $24.6 billion of goods and services in 2025, in current US dollars. Divided by population it comes to $1,658, where the middle country in the region has $1,351.

Output rose 8.1% after inflation in 2025 (World Bank). The IMF's October 2026 outlook projects 7.0% for 2026.

For 2025 as a whole the World Bank records 1.1%. IMF projections put 2026 at 0.8%.

Unemployment stood at 1.6% in 2025 on the ILO's modelled estimate, which can differ from the national survey.

Government debt was 59.3% of GDP in 2025, the IMF estimates, heading to 58.1% in 2026. The regional median is 53.1%.

A baby born in 2024 could expect to live 61.0 years.

• Annual inflation since 2015: highest 3.0% (2020), lowest -0.8% (2016).
• Debt ratio 2015: 30.9%; 2025: 59.3%.
• GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: +65%.

Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.

Official sources in Benin

Central bank interest rates and money

• Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) (Banque centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest)
  Monetary policy decisions, interest rates, banking supervision reports and economic and financial statistics for the WAEMU, including Benin.

Parliament debates, votes, bills

• National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
  Laws passed, session records, committee work and the list of deputies. Not in English.

Government

• Government of Benin (Gouvernement de la République du Bénin)
  Council of Ministers reports, government decisions, news and public service information. Not in English.

Laws and the official gazette the text of laws

• General Secretariat of the Government (Secrétariat général du Gouvernement)
  Laws, decrees and the official gazette (Journal officiel) of Benin. Not in English.

Courts judgments

• Supreme Court (Cour suprême)
  Judgments, case law and reports of Benin's highest court in administrative and judicial matters. Not in English.
• Constitutional Court (Cour constitutionnelle)
  Decisions on constitutionality, fundamental rights and election disputes. Not in English.

Public audit how public money was spent

• Court of Auditors (Cour des comptes)
  Public audit reports, rulings on public accounts and reports on budget execution. Not in English.

Elections results and rules

• Autonomous National Electoral Commission (Commission électorale nationale autonome)
  Election calendars, provisional results, candidate lists and electoral regulations. Not in English.

Regulators

• Financial Markets Authority of the West African Monetary Union (AMF-UMOA) (Autorité des marchés financiers de l'Union monétaire ouest-africaine)
  Decisions, approvals of market participants and issuances, and regulations for the regional securities market of the eight WAEMU states. Not in English.
• Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et de la poste)
  Telecoms and postal decisions, operator licences and market observatory data. Not in English.
• Personal Data Protection Authority (Autorité de protection des données à caractère personnel)
  Data protection deliberations, authorisations and online declarations of data processing. Not in English.
• High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (Haute Autorité de l'audiovisuel et de la communication)
  Decisions on broadcast media, press regulation and media licensing. Not in English.

Ombudsman

• Mediator of the Republic (Médiateur de la République)
  Annual reports and information on complaints against public administration. Not in English.

Public registers companies, land, charities

• MonEntreprise.bj (Investment and Export Promotion Agency)
  Online business creation, registration in the trade and personal property credit register (RCCM) and company formalities in Benin. Not in English.
• National Agency for State Property and Land (Agence nationale du domaine et du foncier)
  Land titles, cadastre information and land registration procedures for Benin. Not in English.

Public contracts government tenders and awards

• Public Procurement Portal of Benin (Portail des marchés publics du Bénin)
  Tender notices, procurement plans and contract awards of Beninese public bodies. Not in English.
• Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Autorité de régulation des marchés publics)
  Procurement regulation, audit reports, sanctions lists and decisions on procurement disputes. Not in English.

Notes

The IPU lists a Senate for Benin with no website; none was found.

The National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INStaD, instad.bj) returned HTTP 503 with a maintenance page on 13 Oct 2026, so it is not listed.

Freedom of information in Benin

Access to public information is set out in Benin's information and communication code; the request procedure, time limit and appeal body could not be read from the law text today and are left blank.

What Benin does not have

• No public online register of associations or NGOs could be found.
• No public register of lobbyists or of officials' asset declarations could be found online.
• No state-run case-law database separate from the Supreme Court's site, already listed, could be found.

Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.

Benin by subject

• Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
• Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
• Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
• Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
• Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
• Housing homes, cities, water and power
• Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
• Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
• Education schools, universities and literacy
• Environment emissions, air, forests and water

Common questions

What is the population of Benin?

14.8 million (2025, World Bank).

What is the inflation rate in Benin?

1.1% (2025, World Bank).

What is Benin's GDP?

$24.6 billion (2025, World Bank).

How much government debt does Benin have?

59.3% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).

Is there a freedom of information law in Benin?

Loi n° 2015-07 du 20 mars 2015 portant code de l'information et de la communication en République du Bénin (2015).

What is the central bank of Benin?

Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) (Banque centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest): https://www.bceao.int/

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