Freedom in Benin
Where Benin sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. Benin has a figure for 52 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.676 | 2025 | 88 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.619 | 2025 | 92 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.836 | 2025 | 57 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.871 | 2025 | 56 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.759 | 2025 | 43 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.709 | 2025 | 67 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | 0.932 | 2025 | 62 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | 0.527 | 2025 | 81 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | 0.327 | 2025 | 87 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 1.000 | 2025 | 10 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 83.8 | 2023 | 71 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 12 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 48 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 1.000 | 2025 | 6 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 42.0 | 2025 | 57 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 19.0 | 2025 | 91 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade openness | 37.1% | 2025 | 111 of 125 |
| Regulatory quality | 50.5 | 2024 | 90 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $4,116 | 2025 | 130 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 8.1% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | 1.1% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 1.6% | 2025 | 12 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 34.0% | 2024 | 132 of 154 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | 0.3 | 2024 | 124 of 134 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 125.9 | 2024 | 52 of 134 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.493 | 2025 | 82 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.323 | 2025 | 84 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.770 | 2025 | 50 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.598 | 2025 | 90 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.290 | 2025 | 117 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.191 | 2025 | 38 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.632 | 2025 | 104 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.882 | 2025 | 33 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 50.2 | 2024 | 90 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 43.0 | 2024 | 72 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 47.7 | 2024 | 86 of 169 |
| Political stability | 59.0 | 2024 | 103 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.515 | 2023 | 145 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 61.0 | 2024 | 162 of 170 |
| Government spending on education | 3.2% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 3.3% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 42.4% | 2023 | 118 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 518.0 | 2023 | 160 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 26.6% | 2025 | 79 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 75.2% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 4.48 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 53.4% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 7.4 | 2024 | 59 of 168 |
| Population | 14.8M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 0.49 | 2024 | 31 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 54.5% | 2021 | 42 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 59.0% | 2024 | 143 of 169 |
What is missing
8 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for Benin in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for Benin, not a zero. Who publishes what