People
Population:
5,709,529 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
48% (male 1,376,531; female 1,367,394)
15-64 years:
50% (male 1,349,386; female 1,480,251)
65 years and over:
2% (male 60,030; female 75,937) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.32% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
46.76 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.79 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
105.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
52.69 years
male:
50.74 years
female:
54.7 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Beninese
Ethnic divisions:
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
Languages:
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
37%
male:
48.7%
female:
25.8%
