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

Ethnic groups:
Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)

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

Religions:
Catholic 27.1%, Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, Protestant 10.4% (Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%), other Christian 5.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)

Population:
10,160,556
country comparison to the world: 88
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2014 est.)
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.8% (male 2,269,896/female 2,179,026)
15-24 years: 20.1% (male 1,036,963/female 1,001,400)
25-54 years: 29.9% (male 1,530,283/female 1,504,201)
55-64 years: 3.5% (male 149,883/female 205,701)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 112,830/female 170,373) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 83 %
youth dependency ratio: 77.7 %
elderly dependency ratio: 5.3 %
potential support ratio: 18.9 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.7 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 18.1 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.81% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
36.51 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 44.9% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 4.12% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:
COTONOU (seat of government) 924,000; PORTO-NOVO (capital) 314,000 (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth:
20.3
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011-12 est.)
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 34
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 57.09 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 26
male: 60.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.07 years
country comparison to the world: 191
male: 59.75 years
female: 62.47 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.04 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
12.9% (2012)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
0.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: