Demographics of Benin
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Benin, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The majority of Benin’s 9.32 million people live in the south. The population is young, with a life expectancy of 50 years.
About 42 African ethnic groups live in this country; these various groups settled in Benin at different times and also migrated within the country. Ethnic groups include:
- the Yoruba in the southeast (migrated from what is now Nigeria in the 12th century);
- the Dendi in the north-central area (they came from what is now Mali in the 16th century);
- the Bariba and the Fula (Fula: Fulɓe; French: Peul) in the northeast;
- the Betammaribe and the Somba in the Atacora Range;
- the Fon in the area around Abomey in the South Central; and
- the Mina, Xueda, and Aja (who came from what is now Togo ) on the coast.
French is the official language but is spoken more in urban than in rural areas. The literacy rate is 52.2% adult males and 23.6% adult females, and slowly growing. Recent migrations have brought other African Nationals to Benin: Nigerians, Togolese, Malians, etc. The foreign community also includes many Lebanese and Indians involved in trade and commerce. The personnel of the many European Embassies and Foreign Aid Missions and of nongovernmental organizations and various missionary groups account for a large number of the 5,500 European population.
Several religions are practiced in Benin. Animism is widespread (50%), and its practices vary from one ethnic group to the other. Arab merchants introduced Islam in the north and among the Yoruba. European missionaries brought Christianity to the south and central areas of Benin. Muslims account for 20% of the population and Christians for 30%. Many nominal Muslims and Christians continue to practice animistic traditions. It is believed that voodoo originated in Benin and was introduced to Brazil and the Caribbean Islands by slaves taken from this particular area of the Slave Coast.
Ethnic groups
There are several dozen ethnolinguistic groups in Benin, representing three of Africa's language families: Niger–Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afroasiatic. The latter is represented by Hausa living mostly as merchants in the north, while Nilo-Saharan is represented by the Dɛndi, descending from the Songhai Empire. The Dɛndi language predominates along the Niger River in the far north, and is used as a lingua franca in Muslim areas throughout the north, in Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces. Of the Niger–Congo family, five branches are represented:
- Mande by the Boko or Busa, now in the far eastern corner (southern Alibori-northern Borgou), but previously more widely spread before being largely absorbed by the Bariba
- Senegambian by the nomadic Fulbe scattered across the northeast
- Benue–Congo by the Yoruba such as those of the old kingdom of Sakete, and the capital city of Porto-Novo, having expanded west from the Yoruba cities of Oyo and Ife in the twelfth to nineteenth centuries
- Gur (Voltaic) languages predominate in the four northern provinces, with the Batɔmbu (Bariba) of the old Borgou (Bariba) Kingdom occupying most of the countryside in its successor provinces of Borgou and Alibori, as well as the provincial captital of Parakou; the Yom throughout much of Donga province and its capital Djougou; and several groups in the Atakora, including the Bɛtamaribɛ of the Otammari country around the provincial capital of Natitingou, the Biali, the Waama of Tanguiéta, and the Gulmàceba.
- Kwa, especially the Gbe languages spoken by the Tado peoples in the southern and central provinces: the Aja who established themselves in Kouffo province from neighboring Togo and gave rise to the other Tado peoples of Benin, except for the Mina of Mono province, who arrived separately from Togo or Ghana: The Fɔn culture centered in Zou province around the old Fɔn capital of Abomey, but also dominant in Cotonou and southern Atlantique areas such as Ouidah; the Maxi in central Collines, especially around Savalou; the Ayizɔ of central Atlantique (Allada); the Xwla and Xueda in the lagoons of the coast; the Tɔfin of Ouémé; and the Gun. Other Kwa languages are spoken by the Anii in southern Donga in the region of Bassila, and the Fooɖo in western Donga near the town of Ouaké.
The largest ethnic group are the Fon, with 1.7 million speakers of the Fon language (2001), followed by the various Yoruba groups (1.2 million), the Aja (600,000), the Bariba (460,000), the Ayizo (330,000), the Fulbe (also known as Fulani, Peul and Fula) (310,000), and the Gun (240,000). Near the ports in the south can be found many people who are descended from returned Brazilian slaves. There are also small numbers of Europeans, principally French, and people from the western Asia, mainly Lebanese, and East Asia, chiefly Indians.
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Population
- 9,325,032
- Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2011 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 2,126,973/female 2,042,340)
- 15-64 years: 52.6% (male 2,443,370/female 2,461,421)
- 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 101,640/female 149,288) (2011 est.)
Median age
- Total: 17.2 years
- Male: 16.8 years
- Female: 17.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate
- 2.911% (2011 est.)
Birth rate
- 38.11 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate
- 9.00 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population: 42% of total population (2010)
- Rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio
- At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
- Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.70 male(s)/female
- Total population: 1.0 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- Total: 64.64 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 61.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 59 years
- Male: 57.83 years
- Female: 60.23 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 5.49 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- Adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2007 est.)
- People living with HIV/AIDS: 64,000 (2007 est.)
- Deaths: 3,300 (2007 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- Degree of risk: very high
- Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- Vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations
- Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
- Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality
- Noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
- Adjective: Beninese
Ethnic groups
- African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 10,000
Religions
- Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)
Languages
The official language is French. However, many African languages are spoken. Fon and Yoruba are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major tribal languages, including Baatonum (a subgroup of the Voltaic group in which the Mossi language is most important) and Fulani.
Literacy
- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- Total population: 34.7%
- Male: 47.9%
- Female: 23.3% (2002 census)
Education expenditure
- 4.4% of total GDP
- country comparison to the world: 91
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2009 edition". and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.