Population: 6,305,567 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,510,703; female 1,501,437)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,511,114; female 1,637,155)
65 years and over: 2% (male 62,459; female 82,699) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.3% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 45.37 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.4 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 97.76 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.08 years
male: 51.98 years
female: 56.24 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1999 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.)