Share of population living in rural areas in Benin
Benin: Share of population living in rural areas was 27.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Benin, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Benin is 27.4%, 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 43.8% in 1955 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, 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
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 43.4% | — |
| 1955 | 43.8% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 43.6% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 42.8% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 41.5% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 40.0% | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 39.5% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 38.7% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 36.1% | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 34.3% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 32.5% | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 30.0% | -7.6% |
| 2010 | 28.7% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 27.6% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 27.4% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 43.6% | 43.4% | 43.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 43.2% | 42.8% | 43.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 40.0% | 41.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 39.1% | 38.7% | 39.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 35.2% | 34.3% | 36.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.3% | 30.0% | 32.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 28.2% | 27.6% | 28.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 27.4% | 27.4% | 27.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More population data for Benin
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4203 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4203 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.6566 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 351.08 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.95 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Benin?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Benin was 27.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 1955.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4% 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 European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by 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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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.