Rural population in Benin
Benin: Rural population was 49.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
49.3%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
68th
of 214 countries
All-time high
83.3%
in 1970
All-time low
49.3%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Benin, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Benin recorded 49.3% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Benin peaked at 83.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 49.3%, in 2024.
That places Benin 68th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 83.3% | — |
| 1971 | 82.4% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 81.4% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 80.3% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 79.2% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 78.1% | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 76.9% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 75.7% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 74.4% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 73.3% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 72.7% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 72.0% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 71.3% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 70.6% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 69.9% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 69.2% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 68.5% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 67.8% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 67.0% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 66.3% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 65.5% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 64.8% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 64.2% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 63.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 63.2% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 62.9% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 62.6% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 62.3% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 62.0% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 61.7% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 61.4% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 61.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 60.5% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 60.0% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 59.5% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 59.0% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 58.4% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 57.9% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 57.4% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 56.9% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 56.4% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 55.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 55.4% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 54.8% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 54.3% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 53.8% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 53.2% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 52.7% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 52.1% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 51.6% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 51.0% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 50.5% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 49.9% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 49.3% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.5% | 73.3% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.5% | 66.3% | 72.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.5% | 62.0% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.7% | 57.4% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.6% | 52.1% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.5% | 49.3% | 51.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 65 Senegal 49.9% compare
- 66 British Virgin Islands 49.8% compare
- 67 Uzbekistan 49.4% compare
- 69 Bosnia and Herzegovina 49.3% compare
- 70 Guatemala 46.5% compare
- 71 Trinidad and Tobago 46.4% compare
More population data for Benin
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 25,264 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.48 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1997 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.41 (2100)
- Population density 351.08 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.95 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.41 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2.48 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 16,232 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Benin?
- Rural population in Benin was 49.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 83.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.3% in 2024.
- How does Benin rank for rural population?
- Benin ranks 68th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release