Statizoid

Civil liberties rating in Benin

Benin: Civil liberties rating was 3 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
3
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
97th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7
in 1975
All-time low
2
in 1995
Years of data
53
1972–2025

Civil liberties rating in Benin, 1972–2025

234567197219982025

Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for civil liberties rating in Benin is 3, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Benin peaked at 7 in 1975 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1995.

That places Benin 97th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Civil liberties rating in Benin, year by year

Year Value Change
1972 5 —
1973 5 +0.0%
1974 6 +20.0%
1975 7 +16.7%
1976 7 +0.0%
1977 7 +0.0%
1978 7 +0.0%
1979 6 -14.3%
1980 6 +0.0%
1982 6 +0.0%
1983 6 +0.0%
1984 7 +16.7%
1985 7 +0.0%
1986 7 +0.0%
1987 7 +0.0%
1988 7 +0.0%
1989 7 +0.0%
1990 4 -42.9%
1991 3 -25.0%
1992 3 +0.0%
1993 3 +0.0%
1994 3 +0.0%
1995 2 -33.3%
1996 2 +0.0%
1997 2 +0.0%
1998 2 +0.0%
1999 3 +50.0%
2000 2 -33.3%
2001 2 +0.0%
2002 2 +0.0%
2003 2 +0.0%
2004 2 +0.0%
2005 2 +0.0%
2006 2 +0.0%
2007 2 +0.0%
2008 2 +0.0%
2009 2 +0.0%
2010 2 +0.0%
2011 2 +0.0%
2012 2 +0.0%
2013 2 +0.0%
2014 2 +0.0%
2015 2 +0.0%
2016 2 +0.0%
2017 2 +0.0%
2018 2 +0.0%
2019 2 +0.0%
2020 2 +0.0%
2021 3 +50.0%
2022 3 +0.0%
2023 3 +0.0%
2024 3 +0.0%
2025 3 +0.0%

Benin compared with similar countries

  • Benin's 3 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 60% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Benin's 3 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.25 5 7 8
1980s 6.67 6 7 9
1990s 2.7 2 4 10
2000s 2 2 2 10
2010s 2 2 2 10
2020s 2.83 2 3 6

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 97 Albania 3 compare
  2. 97 Bhutan 3 compare
  3. 97 Bolivia 3 compare
  4. 97 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 compare
  5. 97 Brazil 3 compare
  6. 97 Colombia 3 compare
  7. 97 Dominican Republic 3 compare
  8. 97 East Timor 3 compare
  9. 97 Ecuador 3 compare
  10. 97 Hungary 3 compare
  11. 97 Israel 3 compare
  12. 97 Lesotho 3 compare
  13. 97 Malawi 3 compare
  14. 97 Moldova 3 compare
  15. 97 Montenegro 3 compare
  16. 97 Nauru 3 compare
  17. 97 North Macedonia 3 compare
  18. 97 Papua New Guinea 3 compare
  19. 97 Paraguay 3 compare
  20. 97 Peru 3 compare
  21. 97 Senegal 3 compare
  22. 97 Serbia 3 compare
  23. 97 Sierra Leone 3 compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is civil liberties rating in Benin?
Civil liberties rating in Benin was 3 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 7 in 1975.
What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1995.
How does Benin rank for civil liberties rating?
Benin ranks 97th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Civil liberties rating in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/civil-liberties-rating-fh/benin/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/civil-liberties-rating-fh/benin/">Civil liberties rating in Benin</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Civil liberties rating
Source
Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 10,083 data points, 1972–2025
Last refreshed

Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.