Benin vs France: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 108 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing Benin and France: Benin leads on Major Urban Areas Population (285,000 people) against France (11.21 people); Benin leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (38,000) against France (1.71); Benin leads on Oil Imports (33,410) against France (2.22). Across 108 compared metrics, Benin wins on 32 and France wins on 65.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 45 metrics compared
- Environment: 5 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 4 metrics compared
- Health: 9 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 1 metric compared
- People and Society: 29 metrics compared
- Transportation: 3 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 32.21 % | 86.84 %★ | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 32% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 54.6 points | 76.62 points★ | |
| Radios | 660,000★ | 55.3 | |
| Televisions | 66,000★ | 34.8 | |
| Waterways | 150 | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 138,516 | -6.11M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 5.95★ | 303.78 | |
| 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, as shown | much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 1.8 Cubic meters per year | 120 Cubic meters per year★ | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 26.39 | 211★ |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.1 % | 4.22 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 103.56 | 135.5★ | |
| Agricultural land | 50,700.46 sq. km | 281,003.2 sq. km★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 121 km | 4,853 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 1.52 cubic meters per inhabitant | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | |
| Irrigated Land | 530 | 14,236★ |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 37.95 % | 82.08 %★ | |
| Administrative Divisions | 12 | 18★ | |
| Independence | 1 | no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
9 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 8.1★ | 6.5 | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 2.6 % of GDP | 12.3 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | 0.8 % | 0.3 %★ | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 0.4 people/sq km | 6 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 518 % | 7 %★ | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 20.5 | 28.9★ | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 9.6 %★ | 21.6 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | 75,000★ | 190,000 | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | 16.8 | NA |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 12,000 | 304,000★ |
People and Society
29 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 64.54 %★ | 52.51 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.42 | 0.76★ | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 63.24 years | 86.69 years★ | |
| Median age of population | 18.17 years | 42.51 years★ | |
| Population Change | 356,564.1 persons★ | 62,507.4 persons | |
| Population density | 134.48 per sq. km | 121.19 per sq. km★ | |
| Total population | 15.17M persons | 66.75M persons★ | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.71 | 0.8★ | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 39.82 %★ | 10.88 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 15.5 % | NA | |
| Death Rate (%) | 7.45 %★ | 9.91 % | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 3.2 % of GDP | 5.3 % of GDP★ | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 3.64M persons | 13.97M persons★ | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 6.4 | 31.73★ | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 6.25 years | 11.25 years★ | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 180 days★ | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 285,000 people★ | 11.21 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 167.06 | 179.74★ | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 18 | 18 | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | 18 | generally 17-30 years of age for both men and women with some variations by service, position, and enlisted versus officer; 17-40 for National Gendarmerie; basic service contract is for 12 months; no conscription (abolished 2001) (2025) note 1: a 10-month | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 74.46 %★ | 62.53 % | |
| Physician Density | 0.22 people/sq km | 3.28 people/sq km★ | |
| Population Growth Rate | 3.26 %★ | 0.2 % | |
| Population living in slums | 63.37 %★ | 0 % | |
| Total deaths | 127,647.6 persons★ | 607,731.9 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 40.78 % | 70.02 %★ | |
| Total fertility rate | 4.34 per woman★ | 1.56 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | -10,850.9 persons | 66,501.8 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 74.27 per live births | 3.49 per live births★ |
Transportation
3 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.02 | 1.35★ | |
| Airports | 10 | 1,218★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | no major transport aircraft | 195 |