9,056,010 country comparison to the world: 90 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 45.2% (male 2,028,493/female 1,948,353)
15–64 years: 52.1% (male 2,275,662/female 2,308,945)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 94,569/female 135,810) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.3 years
male: 16.9 years
female: 17.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.944% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Birth rate:
38.67 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Death rate:
9.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Urbanization:
urban population: 41% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 30 male: 66.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.42 years country comparison to the world: 188 male: 58.21 years
female: 60.68 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.4 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
64,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese
Ethnic groups:
Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)
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)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 34.7%
male: 47.9%
female: 23.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 10 years
female: 6 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 130
Government ::Benin
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local 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)
note: Cotonou (seat of government)
Administrative divisions:
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Independence:
1
