STATISTICS: BENIN

Benin Official name: Rpublique du Bnin (Republic of Benin). Form of government: multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ). Head of state and government: President, assisted by Prime Minister{2}. Capital{3}: Porto-Novo. Official language: French. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = CFAF 560.38; 1 = CFAF 954.05. Demography Population (1998): 6,101,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 140.3, persons per sq km 54.1. Urban-rural (1994): urban 41.0%; rural 59.0%. Sex distribution (1997): male 48.83%; female 51.17%. Age breakdown (1997): under 15, 48.0%; 15-29, 27.5%; 30-44, 13.5%; 45-59, 7.2%; 60-74, 3.1%; 75 and over, 0.7%. Population projection: (2000) 6,517,000; (2010) 8,955,000. Doubling time: 21 years. Ethnic composition (1992): Fon 39.7%; Yoruba (Nago) 12.1%; Adjara 11.1%; Bariba 8.6%; Aizo 8.6%; Somba (Otomary) 6.6%; Fulani 5.6%; other 7.7%. Religious affiliation (1991): traditional beliefs, including voodoo 62.0%; Christian 23.3%, of which Roman Catholic 21.0%, Protestant 2.3%; Muslim 12.0%; other 2.7%. Major cities (1992): Cotonou 533,212; Porto-Novo 177,600; Djougou 132,192; Abomey-Calavi 125,565; Parakou 106,708. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 46.0 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 13.0 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 33.0 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 6.6. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1980-85): 12.8. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1980-85): 0.8. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 50.7 years; female 54.7 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1995): n.a.; however, of the 13,680 reported cases of selected infectious diseases (notifiable to the World Health Organization), measles 77%, tuberculosis 18%, leprosy 4%, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) 2%, neonatal tetanus 0.2%. National economy Budget (1997). Revenue: CFAF 183,984,000,000 (1996; current receipts 68.2%, of which nonpetroleum fiscal receipts and customs duties 56.3%, other nonfiscal receipts 11.9%). Expenditures: CFAF 295,547,000,000 (1996; current expenditures 63.9%, of which salaries 24.9%, debt service 12.2%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1997): cassava 1,451,628, yams 1,346,040, corn (maize) 503,818, seed cotton 444,124, sorghum 111,843, tomatoes 71,714, peanuts (groundnuts) 84,206, dry beans 58,966, sweet potatoes 67,732, millet 28,758, coconuts 20,000, sugarcane 29,594, karit nuts (shea nuts) 15,000, paddy rice 21,788, palm kernels 13,300{4}, bananas 13,000, mangoes 12,000, oranges 12,000, pineapples 3,000, tobacco 325; livestock (number of live animals; 1997) 1,350,000 cattle, 1,012,960 goats, 601,183 sheep, 584,000 pigs, 25,000,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 5,899,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 37,000. Mining and quarrying (1993): limestone 500,000, marine salt 100. Manufacturing (1994): cement 380,000{5}; cotton fibre 103,000; meat 68,000; wheat flour 11,515; palm oil 9,432. Construction: n.a. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 6,000,000 (248,000,000); coal, none (none); crude petroleum (barrels; 1994) 2,130,000,000 (41,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (144,000); natural gas, none (none). Land use (1995): agricultural and under permanent cultivation 17.0%; other 83.0% (of which forested 30.7%, meadows and pastures 4.0%). Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$27,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$19,000,000{6}. Population economically active (1992): total 2,085,400; activity rate of total population 43.0% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 73.4%; female 42.6%; unemployed, n.a.). Gross national product (1996): U.S.$1,998,000,000 (U.S.$350 per capita). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$1,449,000,000. Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1992) 5.9; income per household (1983) U.S.$240; sources of income; self-employement 73.7%, wages and salaries 26.3%; expenditure: n.a. Foreign trade Imports (1996): CFAF 280,200,000,000 (1990; manufactured goods 28.8%, of which cotton yarn and fabric 10.7%; food products 24.7%, of which cereals 17.6%; machinery and transport equipment 10.9%; chemical products 10.0%; refined petroleum products 8.5%; beverages and tobacco 7.3%). Major import sources (1995): France 27.1%; United Kingdom 9.6%; China 9.3%; Thailand 9.1%; Hong Kong 8.8%; The Netherlands 5.6%; United States 4.8%; Germany 4.3%. Exports (1996): CFAF 216,200,000,000 (cotton yarn 49.6%, crude petroleum 2.9%, seed cotton 2.3%). Major export destinations (1995): Brazil 18.2%; Portugal 13.5%; Morocco 10.3%; Libya 7.5%; India 6.5%; Italy 4.5%; United States 4.5%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1994): length 359 mi, 578 km; passenger-mi 66,500,000, passenger-km 107,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 173,000,000 metric ton-km cargo 253,000,000. Roads (1995): total length 5,257 mi, 8,460 km (paved 31.4%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 22,200; trucks and buses 12,400. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 12; total deadweight tonnage 210. Air transport (1996){7}: passenger-mi 139,644,000, passenger-km 224,736,000; short ton-mi cargo 11,247,000, metric ton-km cargo 16,420,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1992). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 78.5%; primary education 10.8%; some secondary 8.2%; secondary 1.2%; postsecondary 1.3%. Literacy (1995): total percentage of population age 15 and over literate 37.0%; males literate 48.7%; females literate 25.8%. Health: physicians (1993) 363 (1 per 14,216 persons); hospital beds (1993) 1,235 (1 per 4,182 persons); infant mortality rate (1997) 103.0. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,405 (vegetable products 96%, animal products 4%); 105% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 4,800 (army 93.8%, navy 3.1%, air force 3.1%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 1.2% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$4. {1} Includes one seat that was to remain vacant per the electoral code. {2} Office of Prime Minister occupied by Government Spokesman from May 1998. {3} Porto-Novo, the official capital established under the constitution, is the seat of the legislature, but the president and most government ministers reside in Cotonou. {4} 1996. {5} 1993. {6} 1994. {7} Represents 1/11 of the traffic of Air Afrique, which is operated by 11 West African states.