Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin
Benin: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 53.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
53.4%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
163rd
of 238 countries
All-time high
53.4%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin stood at 53.4%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin peaked at 53.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Benin ranks 163rd of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.2% | -8.6% |
| 1720 | 0.2% | +14.3% |
| 1730 | 0.2% | +14.3% |
| 1740 | 0.3% | +14.3% |
| 1750 | 0.3% | +14.3% |
| 1760 | 0.4% | +14.3% |
| 1770 | 0.4% | +14.3% |
| 1780 | 0.5% | +14.3% |
| 1790 | 0.5% | +14.3% |
| 1800 | 0.6% | +14.3% |
| 1810 | 0.7% | +14.3% |
| 1820 | 0.8% | +14.3% |
| 1830 | 0.9% | +14.3% |
| 1840 | 1.0% | +14.3% |
| 1850 | 1.2% | +14.3% |
| 1860 | 1.4% | +14.3% |
| 1870 | 1.5% | +14.3% |
| 1880 | 1.8% | +14.3% |
| 1890 | 2.0% | +14.3% |
| 1900 | 2.3% | +14.3% |
| 1910 | 2.6% | +14.3% |
| 1920 | 3.0% | +14.3% |
| 1930 | 3.5% | +14.3% |
| 1940 | 3.9% | +14.3% |
| 1950 | 6.7% | +69.8% |
| 1951 | 6.8% | +2.1% |
| 1952 | 7.0% | +2.8% |
| 1953 | 7.3% | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 7.5% | +3.8% |
| 1955 | 7.8% | +4.1% |
| 1956 | 8.2% | +4.4% |
| 1957 | 8.6% | +4.5% |
| 1958 | 9.0% | +4.6% |
| 1959 | 9.4% | +4.6% |
| 1960 | 9.8% | +4.5% |
| 1961 | 10.2% | +4.7% |
| 1962 | 10.8% | +5.4% |
| 1963 | 11.4% | +6.0% |
| 1964 | 12.2% | +6.3% |
| 1965 | 13.0% | +6.6% |
| 1966 | 13.8% | +6.6% |
| 1967 | 14.7% | +6.6% |
| 1968 | 15.7% | +6.5% |
| 1969 | 16.7% | +6.3% |
| 1970 | 17.7% | +6.1% |
| 1971 | 18.8% | +5.8% |
| 1972 | 19.8% | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 20.8% | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 21.9% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 22.9% | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 23.9% | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 24.8% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 25.7% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 26.5% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 27.3% | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 28.1% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 29.8% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 30.6% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 31.4% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 32.9% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 34.2% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 34.8% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 35.3% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 35.8% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 36.2% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 36.5% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 36.8% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 37.1% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 37.4% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 37.7% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 38.0% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 38.3% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 38.6% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 39.0% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 39.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 39.9% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 40.3% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 40.8% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 41.3% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 41.8% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 42.3% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 42.9% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 43.5% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 44.0% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 44.7% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 45.3% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 45.9% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 46.6% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 47.3% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 48.0% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 48.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 49.4% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 50.2% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 51.0% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 51.7% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 52.5% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 53.4% | +1.6% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 53.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 53.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1870s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1880s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1930s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| 1950s | 7.8% | 6.7% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 12.8% | 9.8% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.3% | 17.7% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.9% | 27.3% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.6% | 34.8% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.2% | 38.3% | 42.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.7% | 42.9% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.4% | 49.4% | 53.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 160 Somalia 55.1% compare
- 161 Cote d'Ivoire 54.5% compare
- 162 Trinidad and Tobago 54.0% compare
- 164 Slovakia 53.2% compare
- 165 Bosnia and Herzegovina 52.7% compare
- 166 Romania 52.2% 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 do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Benin was 53.4% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 53.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Benin rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Benin ranks 163rd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.