Benin Population
Benin population, 1990–2100
Medium projection with low/high uncertainty band
Explore Benin by year
Drag to read any year's indicators, 1950–2100
Current year
Benin in context
Benin has high fertility and a young population growing rapidly along the West African coast. Birth rates are declining gradually, leaving a broad base of children and a fast-rising number of young people. The challenge is familiar across the region: turning that youth into education and employment.
The Benin demographic outlook
Benin is home to about 15.0 million people in 2026, the 76th largest population of any country. A country of Western Africa, its trajectory to 2100 is governed by how births, deaths and migration play out. It packs in roughly 135 people per square kilometre.
Benin is projected to keep growing until about 2100, when its population peaks at roughly 39.5 million before a gradual decline sets in, leaving it near 39.5 million by 2100.
Fertility is high, around 4.48 births per woman, the engine of rapid, sustained growth.
The median age is set to climb from about 18 today to roughly 33 by 2100, while life expectancy, near 61 years, keeps rising. For now it remains one of the world's youngest populations, with a large generation about to reach working age. A rising median age means fewer working-age people supporting each retiree over time.
These figures follow the UN's medium variant, the most widely cited scenario. The low and high variants, driven mainly by differing fertility assumptions, fan out into a wide range by 2100, so treat each number as a central estimate rather than a precise forecast.
Migration & natural change
Net migration against natural change (births − deaths), 2026
Benin is a net source of migration: roughly 6,318 more people leave than arrive each year. Births still outnumber deaths, adding about 364,414 people a year on their own.
Who supports whom
Dependants (under 15 and 65+) per 100 working-age adults (15–64)
| Year | Youth | Old-age | Total | 65+ share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75 | 6 | 81 | 3% |
| 2050 | 53 | 8 | 61 | 5% |
| 2100 | 34 | 18 | 52 | 12% |
A total ratio of 100 means as many dependants as working-age adults. Rising old-age figures signal an ageing population and growing pressure on pensions and healthcare.
Key milestones
Age structure
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Demographic indicators
| Population 2024 | 14.3 million |
| Population 2050 | 24.2 million |
| Population 2075 | 33.4 million |
| Population 2100 | 39.5 million |
| Median age 2050 | 23.0 years |
| Fertility rate 2050 | 3.06 |
| Life expectancy 2100 | 70.7 years |