Alibori: population, health, schools, water and power, living standards and local budgets
Alibori is a department of Benin, number 4 of 12 by population. Alibori had 867,463 residents at the 2013 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH4), 8.7% of Benin's 10.01 million; 4th largest of the 12 departments. This is the latest official count by department: the fifth census has not yet published results.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Alibori: 44.6% of people in Alibori lived in a home with electricity (from the grid or off-grid sources such as solar) in 2021-2022, 3rd lowest of the 12 departments (Benin: 56.5%).
- Health in Alibori: For every 1,000 babies born in Alibori in the five years before the 2021-2022 MICS, 52 died before their first birthday and 87 before their fifth; the under-five rate is joint 3rd highest of the 12 departments (Benin: 45 and 80). Department rates rest on fewer births and are less precise.
- Education in Alibori: 49.8% of primary-school-age children in Alibori were attending school in 2021-2022 and 50.1% were out of school; attendance is the lowest of the 12 departments (Benin: 75.3% and 24.5%).
- Poverty and living standards in Alibori: 32.2% of people in Alibori belonged to the poorest fifth of Benin's households by household assets in 2021-2022, and 61.5% to the poorest two fifths (each fifth holds 20% of the country); its share in the poorest fifth is 2nd highest of the 12 departments.
How many people in Alibori live in towns?
24.3% of Alibori's people lived in urban areas at the 2013 census (210,842 urban, 656,621 rural), the least urban of the 12 departments (Benin: 44.6%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique et de l'Analyse Économique (INSAE, now INStaD) with ICF (The DHS Program) · saved copyHow many children do women in Alibori have?
Women in Alibori would have 5.1 children each on average at the birth rates of the three years before the 2021-2022 MICS, joint 5th highest of the 12 departments (Benin: 4.7); there were 115 births a year per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 (Benin: 77).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD), with UNICEF (copy kept by the WHO/UNICEF JMP) · saved copyAre births registered in Alibori?
93.4% of children under five in Alibori had their birth registered with the civil registry in 2021-2022, 5th lowest of the 12 departments (Benin: 92.6%).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD), with UNICEF (copy kept by the WHO/UNICEF JMP) · saved copyHow much money do the communes of Alibori have?
The communes of Alibori had 5,560 CFA francs of revenue per inhabitant in 2025, including 687 CFA francs of local taxes, 341 CFA francs of other own revenue and 4,531 CFA francs of transfers; 5th lowest of the 10 departments in the table (all communes: 6,600 CFA francs). Couffo and Mono are not in the Treasury's table.
Source: Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), Ministry of Economy and Finance · saved copyHow dependent are the communes of Alibori on state transfers?
Transfers from the state and other bodies brought the communes of Alibori 4,531 CFA francs per inhabitant in 2025, 81% of their revenue; 3rd highest of the 10 departments in the table (all communes: 3,465 CFA francs, 52%).
Source: Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), Ministry of Economy and Finance · saved copyHow much do the communes of Alibori spend?
The communes of Alibori spent 7,065 CFA francs per inhabitant in 2025, 3rd highest of the 10 departments in the table (all communes: 7,377 CFA francs).
Source: Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), Ministry of Economy and Finance · saved copyHow much do the communes of Alibori invest?
Commune investment spending in Alibori came to 3,972 CFA francs per inhabitant in 2025, 4th highest of the 10 departments in the table (all communes: 4,167 CFA francs).
Source: Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), Ministry of Economy and Finance · saved copyMore figures
- In INStaD's 2021-2022 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), weighted to the national population, 8.2% of Benin's household population lived in Alibori (2013 census: 8.7%). Source: Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD), with UNICEF (copy kept by the WHO/UNICEF JMP) · saved copy
How departments are governed in Benin
Departments (12). Prefect appointed by central government. State administration and legal oversight (tutelle) of the communes; not an elected local government.
Every tier of government in Benin
Other departments of Benin
- Atlantique 1,398,229
- Borgou 1,214,249
- Ouémé 1,100,404
- Zou 851,580
- Atacora 772,262
- Couffo 745,328
- Collines 717,477
- Littoral 679,012
- Plateau 622,372
- Donga 543,130
- Mono 497,243
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Sources
- Direction Générale du Trésor et de la Comptabilité Publique (DGTCP), Ministry of Economy and Finance: Note de conjoncture des finances locales, exercice budgétaire 2025 (March 2026): Table 11, commune budgets per inhabitant by department, and local investment by department, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8cc614c1e0f4…)
- Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD), with UNICEF (copy kept by the WHO/UNICEF JMP): Enquête par grappes à indicateurs multiples (MICS6-Bénin) 2021-2022, Rapport des résultats de l'enquête (revised December 2023): department rows of Tables SR.2.1, SR.2.3, SR.6.1W, CS.2, TM.2.1, TM.3.3, TM.4.2, TM.6.1, TM.6.2, TC.1.2, TC.6.7, TC.8.1, LN.2.3, LN.2.7, LN.4.1, PR.1.1, PR.2.1, PR.3.3, PR.4.1W, PR.7.1W, WS.1.2, WS.3.2 and DV.2.2, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b47fa901f5ed…)
- Institut National de la Statistique et de l'Analyse Économique (INSAE, now INStaD) with ICF (The DHS Program): Enquête Démographique et de Santé au Bénin 2017-2018 (EDSB-V), final report: Annex Table A.1, population by department and area of residence from the 2013 census (RGPH4), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b16170e42e03…)
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