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Benin vs. Nigeria

Demographics

BeninNigeria
Population13,301,694 (July 2021 est.)

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
219,463,862 (July 2021 est.)

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
Age structure0-14 years: 45.56% (male 2,955,396/female 2,906,079)

15-24 years: 20.36% (male 1,300,453/female 1,318,880)

25-54 years: 28.54% (male 1,735,229/female 1,935,839)

55-64 years: 3.15% (male 193,548/female 211,427)

65 years and over: 2.39% (male 140,513/female 167,270) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 45,571,738/female 43,674,769)

15-24 years: 20.27% (male 22,022,660/female 21,358,753)

25-54 years: 30.6% (male 32,808,913/female 32,686,474)

55-64 years: 4.13% (male 4,327,847/female 4,514,264)

65 years and over: 3.3% (male 3,329,083/female 3,733,801) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 17 years

male: 16.4 years

female: 17.6 years (2020 est.)
total: 18.6 years

male: 18.4 years

female: 18.9 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate3.36% (2021 est.)2.53% (2021 est.)
Birth rate41.55 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)34.38 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate8.21 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)8.89 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate0.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 57.23 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 62.34 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 51.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 58.23 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 63.67 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 52.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 61.82 years

male: 60.02 years

female: 63.71 years (2021 est.)
total population: 60.87 years

male: 59.07 years

female: 62.78 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate5.47 children born/woman (2021 est.)4.67 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.9% (2020 est.)1.3% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Beninese (singular and plural)

adjective: Beninese
noun: Nigerian(s)

adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groupsFon and related 38.4%, Adja and related 15.1%, Yoruba and related 12%, Bariba and related 9.6%, Fulani and related 8.6%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4.3%, Dendi and related 2.9%, other 0.9%, foreigner 1.9% (2013 est.)Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Kanuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.7% (2018 est.)

note: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS75,000 (2020 est.)1.7 million (2020 est.)
ReligionsMuslim 27.7%, Roman Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5% (Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, other Protestant 3.4%), Vodoun 11.6%, other Christian 9.5%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.)Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other .6% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths2,000 (2020 est.)49,000 (2020 est.)
LanguagesFrench (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 42.4%

male: 54%

female: 31.1% (2018)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 62%

male: 71.3%

female: 52.7% (2018)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases: leptospirosis and schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis

aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

note: on 7 October 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Travel Health Notice for a Yellow Fever outbreak in Nigeria; a large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in Nigeria began in September 2017; the outbreak is now spread throughout the country with the Nigerian Ministry of Health reporting cases of the disease in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory; the CDC recommends travelers going to Nigeria should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should take steps to prevent mosquito bites while there; those never vaccinated against yellow fever should avoid travel to Nigeria during the outbreak
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Nigeria; as of 19 July 2021, Nigeria has reported a total of 169,678 cases of COVID-19 or 82.31 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 1.03 cumulative death per 100,000 population; as of 19 July 2021, 1.23% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 13 years

male: 14 years

female: 11 years (2016)
total: 9 years

male: 9 years

female: 8 years (2011)
Education expenditures2.9% of GDP (2018)NA
Urbanizationurban population: 49% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 52.7% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 81.2% of population

rural: 72.2% of population

total: 76.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 18.8% of population

rural: 27.8% of population

total: 23.6% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 92.6% of population

rural: 63.6% of population

total: 77.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.4% of population

rural: 36.4% of population

total: 22.1% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 58.7% of population

rural: 16% of population

total: 36% of population

unimproved: urban: 41.3% of population

rural: 84% of population

total: 64% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 80.2% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 59.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 19.8% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 40.3% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population285,000 PORTO-NOVO (capital) (2018); 1.123 million Abomey-Calavi, 699,000 COTONOU (seat of government) (2021)14.862 million Lagos, 4.103 million Kano, 3.649 million Ibadan, 3.464 million ABUJA (capital), 3.171 million Port Harcourt, 1.782 million Benin City (2021)
Maternal mortality rate397 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)917 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight16.8% (2017/18)18.4% (2019/20)
Health expenditures2.5% (2018)3.9% (2018)
Physicians density0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2018)0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate9.6% (2016)8.9% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth20.5 years (2017/18 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
20.4 years (2018 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Demographic profile

Benin has a youthful age structure - almost 65% of the population is under the age of 25 - which is bolstered by high fertility and population growth rates. Benin's total fertility has been falling over time but remains high, declining from almost 7 children per women in 1990 to 4.8 in 2016. Benin's low contraceptive use and high unmet need for contraception contribute to the sustained high fertility rate. Although the majority of Beninese women use skilled health care personnel for antenatal care and delivery, the high rate of maternal mortality indicates the need for more access to high quality obstetric care.

Poverty, unemployment, increased living costs, and dwindling resources increasingly drive the Beninese to migrate. An estimated 4.4 million, more than 40%, of Beninese live abroad. Virtually all Beninese emigrants move to West African countries, particularly Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire. Of the less than 1% of Beninese emigrants who settle in Europe, the vast majority live in France, Benin's former colonial ruler.

With about 40% of the population living below the poverty line, many desperate parents resort to sending their children to work in wealthy households as domestic servants (a common practice known as vidomegon), mines, quarries, or agriculture domestically or in Nigeria and other neighboring countries, often under brutal conditions. Unlike in other West African countries, where rural people move to the coast, farmers from Benin's densely populated southern and northwestern regions move to the historically sparsely populated central region to pursue agriculture. Immigrants from West African countries came to Benin in increasing numbers between 1992 and 2002 because of its political stability and porous borders.

Nigeria's population is projected to grow from more than 186 million people in 2016 to 392 million in 2050, becoming the world's fourth most populous country. Nigeria's sustained high population growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future because of population momentum and its high birth rate. Abuja has not successfully implemented family planning programs to reduce and space births because of a lack of political will, government financing, and the availability and affordability of services and products, as well as a cultural preference for large families. Increased educational attainment, especially among women, and improvements in health care are needed to encourage and to better enable parents to opt for smaller families.

Nigeria needs to harness the potential of its burgeoning youth population in order to boost economic development, reduce widespread poverty, and channel large numbers of unemployed youth into productive activities and away from ongoing religious and ethnic violence. While most movement of Nigerians is internal, significant emigration regionally and to the West provides an outlet for Nigerians looking for economic opportunities, seeking asylum, and increasingly pursuing higher education. Immigration largely of West Africans continues to be insufficient to offset emigration and the loss of highly skilled workers. Nigeria also is a major source, transit, and destination country for forced labor and sex trafficking.

Contraceptive prevalence rate15.5% (2017/18)16.6% (2018)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 82.6

youth dependency ratio: 76.6

elderly dependency ratio: 6

potential support ratio: 16.7 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 86

youth dependency ratio: 80.9

elderly dependency ratio: 5.1

potential support ratio: 19.6 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook