Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in Benin
1 in 271 babies · 0.37% of births · about 495,084 a year
Right now, about 0.37% of the world's babies are born in Benin — 1 in 271, or roughly 495,084 a year and 1,356 a day. Life expectancy there is 61.0 years.
How the 1 in 271 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Benin has about 495,084 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.37% — 1 in 271. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Benin, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 62.4 · men 59.5 | 61.0 years | 164th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 74.7 / 1,000 | 7.5% | 159th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 45.2 / 1,000 | 4.5% | 154th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 518 | 163rd lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 4.48 | 159th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 12.6 years | 93rd highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 10.2% | 135th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $4,817 | 138th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 34.40 | 85th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 53.4% | 116th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 40.2% | 132nd lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 34.0% | 141st highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 1.1 | 47th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 42.4% | 119th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 0.70% | 49th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 7.4% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Benin compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in Benin is 61.0 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 7.5%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $4,817, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 12.6 years against 0.0. 53.4% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Benin | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 61.0 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 7.5% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $4,817 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 12.6 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 53.4% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 61.0 years on average, with roughly 74.7 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 12.6 years of school, and income per person is around $4,817. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Benin
The game draws Benin in about 1 of every 271 births. From there the life runs year by year: 61.0 years of life expectancy on average, a 7.5% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $4,817 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Guinea — 1 in 267
- Chance of being born in Burundi — 1 in 281
- Chance of being born in Zimbabwe — 1 in 265
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Benin?
What is life expectancy in Benin?
How many babies are born in Benin each year?
Is Benin a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.