Population 6,787,625
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463)
15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 2.91% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 49.69 years
female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)
male: 48.81 years

Total fertility rate 6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 4.1% (2002)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 160,000 (2002)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 37,000 (2002)

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 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

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: 37.5%
male: 52.2%
female: 23.6% (2000)

NOTE: The information regarding Benin on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Benin People 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Benin People 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.