Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Benin
Benin: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 128.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
128.26 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
87th
of 216 countries
All-time high
128.26 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
22.7 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Benin, 1961–2024
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 128.26 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Benin peaked at 128.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 22.7 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Benin 87th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, 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 (people per sq. km of land area) 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% |
| 2024 | 128.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 128.26 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 128.26 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 | 122.06 people per sq. km of land area | 115.91 people per sq. km of land area | 128.26 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 84 Syria 134.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 85 Cape Verde 130.24 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 86 Jordan 130.11 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 88 France 127.19 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 89 Azerbaijan 123.45 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 90 Sierra Leone 119.73 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 128.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, 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 128.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- 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 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 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.