Population 6,100,799 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,465,067; female 1,455,852)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,455,224; female 1,582,880)
65 years and over: 2% (male 61,523; female 80,253) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate 3.31% (1998 est.)

Birth rate 45.82 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate 12.77 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate 100.22 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 53.61 years
male: 51.56 years
female: 55.72 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate 6.48 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese

Ethnic groups African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Religions indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Languages French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37%
male: 48.7%
female: 25.8% (1995 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Benin on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Benin People 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Benin People 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.