Benin is one of West Africa's fastest-growing economies, driven by port services (Cotonou is a major transit hub for Nigeria and landlocked neighbors), cotton production (Africa's largest producer), agriculture, and trade. President Patrice Talon's reform agenda has improved the business climate significantly. The Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou targets textile and agro-processing. Tourism is growing with the restoration of the Royal Palaces of Abomey (UNESCO site) and development of the Route des Esclaves. Benin benefits from CFA franc stability and ECOWAS market access.
Snapshot
Population~14.8 MWorld Bank, 2025
GDP (current USD)$24.6 BWorld Bank, 2025
GDP per Capita$1,658World Bank, 2025
GDP Growth8.07%World Bank, 2025
Inflation (y/y)~1.10%World Bank, 2025
BCEAO rate3.50%Central Bank
Unemployment1.59%World Bank, ILO modelled estimate, 2025
Internet Use~33.98%World Bank, 2024
Electrification~42.00%World Bank WDI
CPI Score (Rank)42.0/100 (#75)Transparency Intl
HDI (Rank)0.504 (#166)UNDP HDR
Credit RatingS&P: BB- (Stable), 19 Dec 2025Moody's: Ba3 (Stable), 7 Aug 2026Fitch: B+ (Positive), 16 Jan 2026Long term foreign currency, checked 6 Nov 2026
MarketBRVM (Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres, Abidjan)
World Bank Indicators Compare with another country
GDP (current USD)$24.6 BWorld Bank, 2025
GDP growth (annual)8.07%World Bank, 2025
GDP per capita (USD)$1,658World Bank, 2025
Population, total14.8 MWorld Bank, 2025
FDI net inflows (USD)$481.7 MWorld Bank, 2025
Inflation (consumer prices)1.10%World Bank, 2025
Unemployment (% labour force)1.59%World Bank, 2025
Internet use (% of people)33.98%World Bank, 2024
Trade (% of GDP)37.12%World Bank, 2025
Climate Readiness Full ranking
43out of 100
Emerging
Climate adaptation readiness for Benin, from 5 of 5 measured indicators.
Energy access4242.0% · 30% weight
Governance readiness4242 / 100 CPI · 20% weight
Human readiness500.504 HDI · 20% weight
Economic readiness44$1,658, 2025 · 15% weight
Digital readiness3535.0% · 15% weight
This scores climate adaptation readiness (adaptive capacity), following the readiness dimension of the ND-GAIN framework, from five measured indicators scaled 0 to 100. It does not measure emissions or physical climate vulnerability. Energy access is the most climate-specific of the five; the others cover governance, the economy, human development and digital readiness. The economic sub-score is relative to the African countries we cover.
How this is computed
Adaptive capacity to absorb climate finance and adapt, following the readiness dimension of the ND-GAIN framework, from measured indicators only. It is not a measure of emissions or physical climate vulnerability.
- Energy access (30%): World Bank, access to electricity (% of population). The single most climate and energy specific signal held: SDG 7 and the clean-energy transition.
- Governance readiness (20%): Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index (0-100). ND-GAIN governance readiness: the capacity to govern and deploy climate finance. Higher is cleaner.
- Human readiness (20%): UNDP, Human Development Index (0-1). ND-GAIN social readiness: the adaptive capacity of the population.
- Economic readiness (15%): World Bank, GDP per capita (current US$), latest measured year. ND-GAIN economic readiness: the capacity to finance adaptation. Scored relative to the covered set.
- Digital readiness (15%): World Bank, individuals using the Internet (% of population). Information systems for early warning and adaptation.
A country is scored only when at least 4 of the five indicators are held. Sub-scores are weighted and renormalised over the indicators that are present; nothing is estimated for one that is absent.
Country Facts
CapitalPorto-Novo
RegionWest Africa
CurrencyWest African CFA (XOF)
FX RegimeFixed peg to EUR via CFA franc
Stock ExchangeBRVM (Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres, Abidjan)
Investment Promotion AgencyAPIEx Benin
Legal SystemFrench civil law
Time ZoneAfrica/Porto-Novo
Focus Sectors
Cotton
Agriculture (cashew, shea)
Port Services (Cotonou)
Trade & Transit
Tourism
Telecoms
Construction
Digital Economy
Energy
Trade
Exports $1.47B (2024)
12.4% to other African countries
Top export partners
Bangladesh32.7%
India13.0%
China12.3%
Pakistan10.1%
USA4.8%
Denmark4.7%
Chad2.4%
Nigeria2.3%
United Arab Emirates2.0%
Togo1.8%
Top export products (HS 4)
Cotton34.4%
Soya beans, whether or not broken20.4%
Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, n.e.c. in chapter 126.7%
Oil-cake and other solid residues; whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil6.5%
Nuts, edible5.8%
Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude2.8%
Soya-bean oil and its fractions2.1%
Iron or non-alloy steel1.7%
Oil-cake and other solid residues; whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of vegetable or microbial fats or oils, other than those of heading no. 2304 or 23051.4%
Aircraft n.e.c. in heading no. 8801, except unmanned aircraft of heading 8806, (e.g. helicopters, aeroplanes)1.4%
By HS chapter
Cotton 36.2%Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits 27.4%Food industries, residues and wastes thereof 8.0%Fruit and nuts, edible 6.5%Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products 3.1%Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation 2.8%Iron and steel 2.7%Wood and articles of wood 2.6%Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants 1.7%Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof 1.4%
Imports $4.60B (2024)
20.5% from other African countries
Top import partners
India18.7%
China14.3%
France7.3%
USA6.1%
Morocco5.2%
Nigeria4.1%
Togo3.9%
Russian Federation3.4%
Belgium2.8%
Côte d'Ivoire2.5%
Top import products (HS 4)
Rice20.9%
Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude8.3%
Fertilizers4.6%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles3.2%
Fish2.7%
Medicaments2.3%
Meat and edible offal of poultry2.3%
Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form1.8%
Electrical energy1.6%
Tubes, pipes and hoses and fittings thereof (for example, joints, elbows, flanges), of plastics1.5%
By HS chapter
Cereals 22.1%Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation 11.7%Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors 7.9%Vehicles 6.5%Fertilizers 5.8%Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof 5.3%Pharmaceutical products 3.1%Plastics and articles thereof 3.1%Iron and steel 3.0%Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates 2.7%
Source: CEPII BACI (version 202601, updated 22 Jan 2026), Etalab 2.0 (licence). Goods only, HS 2022, current USD, 2024. Aggregated by allbusiness.africa.
Regulations & Taxes
Corporate Income Tax30% standard
VAT / Sales Tax18% standard
Business Directory (197)
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