Share of population living in rural areas in Benin

Benin: Share of population living in rural areas was 27.44 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
27.44
World rank
107th
of 236 countries
All-time high
43.83
in 1955
All-time low
27.44
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Benin, 1950–2020

0102030401950198520201950: 43.41955: 43.81960: 43.61965: 42.81970: 41.51975: 401980: 39.51985: 38.71990: 36.11995: 34.32000: 32.52005: 302010: 28.72015: 27.62020: 27.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Benin is 27.44, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of down 4.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Benin peaked at 43.83 in 1955 and was at its lowest, 27.44, in 2020.

That places Benin 107th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in rural areas in Benin, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Benin, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 43.43 —
1955 43.83 +0.9%
1960 43.63 -0.5%
1965 42.78 -1.9%
1970 41.53 -2.9%
1975 39.98 -3.7%
1980 39.47 -1.3%
1985 38.68 -2.0%
1990 36.13 -6.6%
1995 34.25 -5.2%
2000 32.49 -5.2%
2005 30.02 -7.6%
2010 28.74 -4.3%
2015 27.63 -3.8%
2020 27.44 -0.7%

Benin compared with similar countries

  • Benin's 27.44 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.75, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Benin's 27.44 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.61, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 43.63 43.43 43.83 2
1960s 43.21 42.78 43.63 2
1970s 40.75 39.98 41.53 2
1980s 39.07 38.68 39.47 2
1990s 35.19 34.25 36.13 2
2000s 31.25 30.02 32.49 2
2010s 28.18 27.63 28.74 2
2020s 27.44 27.44 27.44 1

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 104 Jamaica 27.64 compare
  2. 105 Tuvalu 27.59 compare
  3. 106 Grenada 27.53 compare
  4. 108 Nepal 27.4 compare
  5. 109 Saint Lucia 27.25 compare
  6. 110 Democratic Republic of Congo 27.11 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Benin?
Share of population living in rural areas in Benin was 27.44 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 43.83 in 1955.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 27.44 in 2020.
How does Benin rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Benin ranks 107th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in rural areas in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/benin/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed