Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government)
Population
14,697,052
Sub-Zones
12
General Information
Basic details about Benin
Population:
14,697,052
Area:
112,622 sq km
Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs
Languages:
55 languages, French, Fon, Yom, half a dozen regionally important languages in the north, including Bariba and Fulfulde
Economic Overview
Key economic indicators for Benin
GDP:
$52.51 billion
GDP per Capita:
$3,700
GDP Growth:
6.35%
Inflation:
2.73%
Unemployment:
1.45%
Public Debt:
54.6% of GDP
Credit Rating:
B+ (2018)
Political System
Governance structure of Benin
Government Type:
presidential republic
Head of State:
President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016)
Head of Government:
President Patrice TALON
Judiciary:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the chief justice and 16 justices organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members, including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office