Rural population in Benin
Benin: Rural population was 46.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Benin, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Benin recorded 46.6% for rural population in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Benin peaked at 90.2% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 46.6%, in 2025.
Benin ranks 71st of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 90.2% | — |
| 1961 | 89.8% | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 89.2% | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 88.6% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 87.8% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 87.0% | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 86.2% | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 85.3% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 84.3% | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 83.3% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 82.3% | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 81.2% | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 80.2% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 79.2% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 78.1% | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 77.1% | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 76.1% | -1.3% |
| 1977 | 75.2% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 74.3% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 73.5% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 72.7% | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 71.9% | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 71.1% | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 70.2% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 69.4% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 68.6% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 67.9% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 67.1% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 66.4% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 65.8% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 65.2% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 64.7% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 64.2% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 63.8% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 63.5% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 63.2% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 62.9% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 62.6% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 62.3% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 62.0% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 61.7% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 61.4% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 61.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 60.1% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 59.7% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 59.2% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 58.7% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 58.2% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 57.7% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 57.1% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 56.5% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 56.0% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 55.3% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 54.7% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 52.7% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 52.0% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 51.3% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 50.6% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 49.8% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 49.0% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 48.3% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 47.5% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 46.6% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 87.2% | 83.3% | 90.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 77.7% | 73.5% | 82.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.1% | 65.8% | 72.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.4% | 62.0% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.8% | 57.7% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.3% | 51.3% | 57.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.6% | 46.6% | 50.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 68 Romania 47.8% compare
- 69 Bosnia and Herzegovina 47.3% compare
- 70 Slovakia 46.8% compare
- 72 Trinidad and Tobago 46.0% compare
- 73 Côte d'Ivoire 45.5% compare
- 74 Somalia 44.9% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Benin
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2292 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 380.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6697 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4664 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 22.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 22.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 52.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Benin?
- Rural population in Benin was 46.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 90.2% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.6% in 2025.
- How does Benin rank for rural population?
- Benin ranks 71st out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.