Factbook
Histoire de Bénin — Chronologie
Dates clés de l'histoire de Bénin, d'après le Factbook Magna et l'Encyclopédie universelle.
1894France began to control the coastal areas of Dahomey in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894.
1960French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960, and it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975.
1960Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France).
1972A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and a Marxist-Leninist government.
1989A move to representative government began in 1989.
1996KEREKOU returned to power after elections in 1996 and 2001.
2006He stepped down in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent, who won a second term in 2011.
2013Languages: 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 Religions: Muslim 27.7%, Roman Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5% (Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, other Protestant 3.4%), Vodoun 11.6%, other Christian 9.5%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.) Urban population: 50.1% of total population (2023).
2016Patrice TALON, a wealthy businessman, took office in 2016; the space for pluralism, dissent, and free expression has narrowed under his administration.
2018Major urban areas: 285,000 PORTO-NOVO (capital) (2018); 1.253 million Abomey-Calavi, 722,000 COTONOU (seat of government) (2022) robust economic growth; slightly declining but still widespread poverty; strong trade relations with Nigeria; cotton exporter; COVID-19 has led to capital outflows and border closures; WAEMU member with currency pegged to the euro; recent fiscal deficit and debt reductions Inflation: 1.2% (2024 est.).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 96.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 6.472 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement Agriculture: cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, cotton, soybeans, rice, pineapples, tomatoes, chillies/peppers (2023) Electricity access: 56.5% (2022 est.).
2024Military spending: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.).
2025Population: 15.2 million (2025 estimate).
