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
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.
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
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1837 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3347 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.48 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2392 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 123.58 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
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
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.