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The People of Benin

Beninese People

Benin's map

Population: 8,791,832 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 2009 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.2% (male 2,028,493/female 1,948,353) 15-64 years: 52.1% (male 2,275,662/female 2,308,945) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 94,569/female 135,810) (2009 est.)

Median age: total: 17.2 years male: 16.8 years female: 17.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.977% (2009 est.)

Death rate: 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 64.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 61.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59 years male: 57.83 years female: 60.23 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.49 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 64,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3,300 (2007 est.)

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)

Religions: Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)

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: 34.7% male: 47.9% female: 23.3% (2002 census)