Population density in Benin
Benin: Population density was 125.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population density in Benin, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Benin is 125.14 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 31.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Benin peaked at 125.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.7 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Benin 87th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density in Benin, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 22.7 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 23.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 23.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 23.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 24.46 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 24.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 25.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 26.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 26.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 27.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 27.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 28.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 29.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 29.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 30.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 31.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 32.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 32.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 33.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 34.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 35.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 36.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 37.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 39.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 40.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 41.46 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 42.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 44.05 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 45.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 46.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 48.31 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 49.82 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 52.08 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 54.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 55.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 56.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 58.38 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 60.21 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 62.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 64.04 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 66.03 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 68.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 70.18 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 72.36 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 74.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 77.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 79.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 81.84 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 84.33 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 86.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 89.51 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 92.21 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 94.97 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 97.82 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 100.75 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 103.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 106.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 109.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 112.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 115.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 118.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 122.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 125.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.53 people per sq. km of land area | 22.7 people per sq. km of land area | 26.59 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 30.32 people per sq. km of land area | 27.18 people per sq. km of land area | 33.86 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.84 people per sq. km of land area | 34.81 people per sq. km of land area | 45.42 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.37 people per sq. km of land area | 46.84 people per sq. km of land area | 62.1 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.81 people per sq. km of land area | 64.04 people per sq. km of land area | 84.33 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.54 people per sq. km of land area | 86.89 people per sq. km of land area | 112.87 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 120.51 people per sq. km of land area | 115.91 people per sq. km of land area | 125.14 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 84 Jordan 128.83 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 85 Syria 128.49 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 86 France 126.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 88 Azerbaijan 122.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 89 Poland 119.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 90 Sierra Leone 117.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Benin
- Population in the largest city 17.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 39.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.38 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 49.08 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 8.36 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Benin?
- Population density in Benin was 125.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 125.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.7 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Benin rank for population density?
- Benin ranks 87th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.