Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin

Benin: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 50.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
50.0%
Change on year
down 14.5%
World rank
18th
of 120 countries
All-time high
84.2%
in 2003
All-time low
50.0%
in 2021
Years of data
5
2003–2021

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin, 2003–2021

0204060802003201220212003: 84.2 %2011: 80.3 %2015: 83.4 %2018: 58.5 %2021: 50 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin stood at 50.0%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.5% on the previous year and down 37.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin peaked at 84.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 50.0%, in 2021.

Benin ranks 18th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin, year by year

Annual values for Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin, 2003 to 2021.
Year % Change
2003 84.2%
2011 80.3% -4.6%
2015 83.4% +3.8%
2018 58.5% -29.9%
2021 50.0% -14.5%

Benin compared with similar countries

  • Benin's 50.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.5%, 2.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
  • Benin's 50.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.1%, 80% of the median. (26 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 84.2% 84.2% 84.2% 1
2010s 74.1% 58.5% 83.4% 3
2020s 50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 1

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 15 Mali 59.5% compare
  2. 16 Ghana 56.3% compare
  3. 17 Togo 55.6% compare
  4. 19 Pakistan 47.9% compare
  5. 20 Syria 42.1% compare
  6. 21 Cote d'Ivoire 41.6% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin was 50.0% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 84.2% in 2003.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 50.0% in 2021.
How does Benin rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
Benin ranks 18th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-living-with-less-than-320-int-per-day/benin/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $4.20 per day.