Map of Benin | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and a half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975.A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent, who won a second five-year term in March 2011. Patrice TALON, a wealthy businessman, took office in 2016 after campaigning to restore public confidence in the government.


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Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 112,622 km²
Land: 110,622 km²
Water: 2000 km²
Rank: 103
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,123 km
Border countries: (4) Burkina Faso 386 km; , Niger 277 km; , Nigeria 809 km; , Togo 651 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200
Note: nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation
Mean elevation: 273 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use
Agricultural land: 31.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 40% (2011 est.)
Other: 28.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 230 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Geography
Note: sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands


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Population
Distribution: the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west:
Rank: 79
Growth rate: 2.68% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 16
Below poverty line: 36.2% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Beninese

Ethnic groups: Fon and related 38.4%, Adja and related 15.1%, Yoruba and related 12%, Bariba and related 9.6%, Fulani and related 8.6%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4.3%, Dendi and related 2.9%, other 0.9%, foreigner 1.9% (2013 est.)

Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Religions: Muslim 27.7%, Roman 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.)

Demographic profile: Benin has a youthful age structure - almost 65% of the population is under the age of 25 - which is bolstered by high fertility and population growth rates. Benin’s total fertility has been falling over time but remains high, declining from almost 7 children per women in 1990 to 4.8 in 2016. Benin’s low contraceptive use and high unmet need for contraception contribute to the sustained high fertility rate. Although the majority of Beninese women use skilled health care personnel for antenatal care and delivery, the high rate of maternal mortality indicates the need for more access to high quality obstetric care.Poverty, unemployment, increased living costs, and dwindling resources increasingly drive the Beninese to migrate. An estimated 4.4 million, more than 40%, of Beninese live abroad. Virtually all Beninese emigrants move to West African countries, particularly Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. Of the less than 1% of Beninese emigrants who settle in Europe, the vast majority live in France, Benin’s former colonial ruler.With about 40% of the population living below the poverty line, many desperate parents resort to sending their children to work in wealthy households as domestic servants (a common practice known as vidomegon), mines, quarries, or agriculture domestically or in Nigeria and other neighboring countries, often under brutal conditions. Unlike in other West African countries, where rural people move to the coast, farmers from Benin’s densely populated southern and northwestern regions move to the historically sparsely populated central region to pursue agriculture. Immigrants from West African countries came to Benin in increasing numbers between 1992 and 2002 because of its political stability and porous borders.

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.26% (male 2,445,265 /female 2,347,091)
15-24 years: 20.53% (male 1,184,977 /female 1,143,605)
25-54 years: 30.66% (male 1,759,834 /female 1,717,467)
55-64 years: 3.65% (male 184,453 /female 229,945)
65 years and over: 2.89% (male 128,920 /female 198,947) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 86.1 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 80.1 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 16.6 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.4 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 18.7 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 209

Population growth rate: 2.68% (2018 est.)
Rank: 16

Birth rate: 34.5 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 22

Death rate: 7.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 99

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 74

Population distribution: the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west

Urbanization
Urban population: 47.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.89% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 285,000 PORTO-NOVO (capital), 685,000 COTONOU (seat of government), 928,000 Abomey-Calavi (2018)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification (the spread of the desert into agricultural lands in the north is accelerated by regular droughts)
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 51.5 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 54.5 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 48.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 24

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 61.2 years (2018 est.)
Female: 64.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 198

Total fertility rate: 4.67 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 22

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 17.9% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 14.8% of population
Rural: 27.9% of population
Total: 22.1% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.15 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 0.5 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 64.4% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 92.7% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 80.3% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 44
People living with hivaids: 70,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 50
Deaths: 2,500 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 45

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.6% (2016)
Rank: 142

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18% (2014)
Rank: 32

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 97

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 38.4% (2015 est.)
Male: 49.9% (2015 est.)
Female: 27.3% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years (2013)
Male: 14 years (2013)
Female: 11 years (2013)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Benin
Conventional short form: Benin
Local long form: Republique du Benin
Local short form: Benin
Former: Dahomey, Peoples Republic of Benin
Etymology: named for the Bight of Benin, the body of water on which the country lies

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government)
Geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 12 departments; Alibori, Atacora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 August (1960)

Constitution
History: previous 1946, 1958 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 (2017)
Amendments: proposed concurrently by the president of the republic (after a decision in the Council of Ministers) and the National Assembly; consideration of drafts or proposals requires at least three-fourths majority vote of the Assembly membership; passage requires approval in a referendum unless approved by at least four-fifths majority vote of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles affecting territorial sovereignty, the republican form of government, and secularity of Benin cannot be amended (2017)

Legal system: civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Benin
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); prime minister position abolished
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 6 March and 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: Patrice TALON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Lionel ZINSOU (FCBE) 28.4%, Patrice TALON (independent) 24.8%, Sebastien AJAVON (independent) 23.%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE (ABT) 8.8%, Pascal KOUPAKI (NC) 5.9%, other 9.1%; percent of vote in second round - Patrice TALON 65.4%, Lionel ZINSOU 34.6%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 26 April 2015 (next to be held in April 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - FCBE 30.2%, UN 14.4%, PRD 10.6%, AND 7.6%, RB-RP 7.1%, other 30.1%; seats by party - FCBE 33, UN 13, PRD 10, RB-RP 7, AND 5, other 15; composition - men 77, women 6, percent of women 7.2%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 3 chamber presidents organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the national president upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the national president; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; High Court of Justice other members elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour dAppel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hector POSSET (since 18 January 2017)
In the us chancery: 2,124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-6,656
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lucy TAMLYN (since 8 November 2015)
From the us embassy: Caporal Bernard Anani, 01 BP 2012, Cotonou
From the us mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
From the us telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50
From the us FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84

Flag description:

National symbols: leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red

National anthem
Name: LAube Nouvelle (The Dawn of a New Day)
Lyricsmusic: Gilbert Jean DAGNON: note: adopted 1960

National heritage


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Economy overview: The free market economy of Benin has grown consecutively for four years, though growth slowed in 2017, as its close trade links to Nigeria expose Benin to risks from volatile commodity prices. Cotton is a key export commodity, with export earnings significantly impacted by the price of cotton in the broader market. The economy began deflating in 2017, with the consumer price index falling 0.8%.During the first two years of President TALON’s administration, which began in April 2016, the government has followed an ambitious action plan to kickstart development through investments in infrastructure, education, agriculture, and governance. Electricity generation, which has constrained Benin’s economic growth, has increased and blackouts have been considerably reduced. Private foreign direct investment is small, and foreign aid accounts for a large proportion of investment in infrastructure projects.Benin has appealed for international assistance to mitigate piracy against commercial shipping in its territory, and has used equipment from donors effectively against such piracy. Pilferage has significantly dropped at the Port of Cotonou, though the port is still struggling with effective implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Projects included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) first compact (2006-11) were designed to increase investment and private sector activity by improving key institutional and physical infrastructure. The four projects focused on access to land, access to financial services, access to justice, and access to markets (including modernization of the port). The Port of Cotonou is a major contributor to Benin’s economy, with revenues projected to account for more than 40% of Benin’s national budget.Benin will need further efforts to upgrade infrastructure, stem corruption, and expand access to foreign markets to achieve its potential. In September 2015, Benin signed a second MCC Compact for $375 million that entered into force in June 2017 and is designed to strengthen the national utility service provider, attract private sector investment, fund infrastructure investments in electricity generation and distribution, and develop off-grid electrification for poor and unserved households. As part of the Government of Benin’s action plan to spur growth, Benin passed public private partnership legislation in 2017 to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, encourage new information and communication technology, and establish Independent Power Producers. In April 2017, the IMF approved a three year $150.4 million Extended Credit Facility agreement to maintain debt sustainability and boost donor confidence.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 141

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 38

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 201

Gross national saving:
Rank: 116

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 70.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 13.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 27.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 31.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -43% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 22.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 51.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton, corn, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2017 est.)
Rank: 101

Labor force: 3.662 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 98

Unemployment rate: 1% (2014 est.)
Rank: 7

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 36.2% (2011 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 29% (2003)
Highest 10: 29% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 36.5 (2003)
Rank: 88

Budget
Revenues: 1.578 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 2.152 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 186

Taxes and other revenues: 17.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 171

Public debt:
Rank: 81

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 13

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 87

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 140

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 125

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 132

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 151

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 144

Exports:
Rank: 141
Partners: Bangladesh 18.1%, India 10.7%, Ukraine 9%, Niger 8.1%, China 7.7%, Nigeria 7.2%, Turkey 4% (2017)
Commodities: cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Imports:
Rank: 152
Commodities: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Partners: Thailand 18.1%, India 15.9%, France 8.5%, China 7.5%, Togo 5.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Belgium 4.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 141

Debt external:
Rank: 145

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 7.3 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 29% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 57% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 9% (2013)
Production: 335 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 177
Consumption: 1.143 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 152
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 106
Imports: 1.088 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Installed generating capacity: 321,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 158
Generation sources fossil fuels: 88% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 58
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 49
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 116
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 135

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 109
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 93
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 96
Crude oil proven reserves: 8 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 92

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 118
Products consumption: 38,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 113
Products exports: 1514 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 107
Products imports: 38,040 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 93

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 104
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 121
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 69
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 91
Proven reserves: 1.133 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 98

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 5.664 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 130

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 56,787 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 156
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 8,773,044 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 91

Telephone system
General assessment: fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment; mobile networks account for almost all internet connections; govt. aims to provide telecoms services to 80% of the country, mostly via mobile infrastructure; govt. restructures state-owned telcos; Mobile Number Portability (MNP) becomes available; Benin joins free roaming scheme (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity only about 1 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has increased rapidly, exceeding 79 per 100 persons in 2017 (2017)
International: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean);Orange commissions new connection from the ACE submarine cable, connecting Benin with Tenerife (2017)

Broadcast media: state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station providing a wide broadcast reach; several privately owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio, under ORTB control, includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2016)

Internet
Country code: .bj
Users total: 1,288,336 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 12% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 127

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 28,833 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 142


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 103

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 112,392 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 805,347
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TY (2016)

Airports: 6 (2013)
Rank: 171
With paved runways total: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 134 km gas

Railways
Total: 438 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 438 km
Note: 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 116

Roadways
Total: 16,000 km (2006)
Paved: 1400 km (2006)
Unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)
Rank: 122

Waterways: 150 km
Note: (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2011)
Rank: 101

Merchant marine
Total: 6 (2017)
By type: other 6 (2017)
Rank: 159

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Cotonou
LNG terminal: Cotonou


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Disputes international: talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona RiverBenin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso near the town of Koualoulocation of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations