The Poorest Countries in the World
All these extremely fragile and underdeveloped economies have either recently been through a civil war or are suffering from ongoing sectarian or ethnic conflicts.
Benin GDP and Economic Data
Country Report 2017 - Includes Benin real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Benin economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Benin best banks and safest banks are also available.
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International Reserves
USD 0.07 billion (2015)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved January 2017
Gross Domestic Product - GDP
USD 9.6 billion (2017, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 26.2 billion (2017, estimate)
Real GDP growth
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 3.9% | 6% | 4.9% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 3% | 4.7% |
| 2013* | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* | ||
| 6.9% | 6.5% | 5% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
*Estimate
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2017* |
| 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 22.9%
- industry: 24.9%
- services: 52.2%
(2016 estimate)
Inflation
| 2013 | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* |
| 1.0% | -1.1% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 2.2% |
*Estimate
Unemployment rate
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Estimate
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* |
| 25.4% | 30.9% | 39.3% | 42.5% | 43.9% |
*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* |
| -1.9% | -2.3% | -7.5% | -4.2% | -4.3% |
*Estimate
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: N/A
Moody's: N/A
Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-11.8% (2017 estimate)
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
28.2% (2015)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.01% (2015)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.009% (2014)
Export commodities
Cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood
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Import commodities
Foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Exports - major partners
India 24.2%, Gabon 14.6%, China 7.2%, Niger 6%, Bangladesh 5%, Nigeria 4.9%, Vietnam 4.2% (2015)
Imports - major partners
China 42.1%, US 8.9%, India 5.7%, Malaysia 4.8%, Thailand 4.3%, France 4% (2015)
FDI inflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 360 million | USD 405 million | USD 229 million |
FDI outflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 59 million | USD 17 million | USD 26 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking: 155 out of 190 countries (2016)
Subcategories:
Starting a business: 57 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 169 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 173 out of 190 countries
Getting credit: 139 out of 190 countries
Protecting investors: 145 out of 190 countries
Trading across border: 133 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 173 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 74 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 174 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 115 out of 190 countries
Source
Global competitiveness ranking
124 out of 138 countries
(2016-2017)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 101 / Score: 59.31 (Mostly unfree) (2017)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Source
Source
Languages
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Religions
Muslim 27.7%, Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5% (Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, other Protestant 3.4%), Vodoun 11.6%, other Christian 9.5%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
| 5.001 million | 6.949 million | 9.51 million | 11.128 million | 12.439 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
| 9% | 27% | 38% | 44% |
Literacy
Total population: 38.4%
Male: 49.9%
Female: 27.3% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day
37.2% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
43.4 (2011)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Source
Freedom House rating
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2017)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 1.79% Mobile 85.64% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)