Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Benin: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #152 of 195).
Benin is a presidential republic in Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo. The country's capital is Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government); it covers 112,622 sq km. Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France). Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains. Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north. Population: 15.2 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +3.26% per year. Median age: 17.2 years. Life expectancy: 63 years (2024 est.). Languages: 55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba are the most important indigenous languages in the south; hal…
| Capital | Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government) |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,186,090 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $56.424 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $3,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 7.5% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.2% |
| Unemployment | 1.8% |
| Public debt | 49.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $4.511 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $6.189 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 63 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 17.2 |
| Urbanization | 50.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 1 August 1960 (from France) |
| Languages | 55 languages; French (official); Fon (a Gbe language), Yom (a Gur language) and Yoruba are the most important indigenous languages in the south; half a dozen regionally important languages in the north, including Bariba and Fulfulde |
MCC · 40/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
Marble, Timber.
Romuald Wadagni — President. President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016)
Benin maintains 11 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 27 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 11 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 27 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 121 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 10 (registration prefix TY) |
| Major seaports | Cotonou |
| Railways | 438 km |
| Pipelines | 134 km gas |
Cotonou Cadjehoun International Airport (COO) — Cotonou.
| LNG import terminals | Cotonou |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 40 Ranked #152 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Benin.
