Free country in Benin
Benin: Free country was 1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Free country in Benin, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, free country in Benin stood at 1.
The figure is down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, free country in Benin peaked at 2 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1972.
That places Benin 90th 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.
Free country in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 1 | — |
| 1991 | 2 | +100.0% |
| 1992 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 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 | 1 | -50.0% |
| 2020 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1 | +0.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 1 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 1 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.9 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 90 Albania 1 compare
- 90 Armenia 1 compare
- 90 Bangladesh 1 compare
- 90 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 compare
- 90 Comoros 1 compare
- 90 Cote d'Ivoire 1 compare
- 90 Dominican Republic 1 compare
- 90 Ecuador 1 compare
- 90 El Salvador 1 compare
- 90 Gambia 1 compare
- 90 Georgia 1 compare
- 90 Guatemala 1 compare
- 90 Guinea-Bissau 1 compare
- 90 Honduras 1 compare
- 90 Hong Kong 1 compare
- 90 Hungary 1 compare
- 90 India 1 compare
- 90 Indonesia 1 compare
- 90 Jordan 1 compare
- 90 Kenya 1 compare
- 90 Lebanon 1 compare
- 90 Liberia 1 compare
- 90 Madagascar 1 compare
- 90 Malaysia 1 compare
- 90 Maldives 1 compare
- 90 Mauritania 1 compare
- 90 Mexico 1 compare
- 90 Moldova 1 compare
- 90 Montenegro 1 compare
- 90 Morocco 1 compare
- 90 Mozambique 1 compare
- 90 Nepal 1 compare
- 90 Nigeria 1 compare
- 90 North Macedonia 1 compare
- 90 Pakistan 1 compare
- 90 Papua New Guinea 1 compare
- 90 Paraguay 1 compare
- 90 Peru 1 compare
- 90 Philippines 1 compare
- 90 Serbia 1 compare
- 90 Sierra Leone 1 compare
- 90 Singapore 1 compare
- 90 Sri Lanka 1 compare
- 90 Togo 1 compare
- 90 Tunisia 1 compare
- 90 USSR 1 compare
- 90 Ukraine 1 compare
- 90 Zambia 1 compare
More reference data data for Benin
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1979 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6635 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5244 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8505 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is free country in Benin?
- Free country in Benin was 1 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest free country recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1991.
- What is the lowest free country recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1972.
- How does Benin rank for free country?
- Benin ranks 90th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is free country rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 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 Free country. 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).
About this data
The variable identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between free countries (score 2), partly free countries (score 1), and not free countries (score 0).