Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Benin fits inside Burkina Faso 2.4 times
Benin: 114,760 km² (2024) · Burkina Faso: 274,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Benin: 121 km (2026 edition) · Burkina Faso: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Burkina Faso’s highest peak towers 74 m above Benin’s
Benin: 675 m (2026 edition) · Burkina Faso: 749 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 63% of Burkina Faso, versus 43% of Benin
Benin: 43.1% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 62.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Burkina Faso has 63% more people than Benin
Benin: 14.8 million (2025) · Burkina Faso: 24.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Benin is 49% more densely populated than Burkina Faso
Benin: 131 per km² (2025) · Burkina Faso: 88 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Burkina Faso are 3.4 cm taller than in Benin
Benin: 168.4 cm (2019) · Burkina Faso: 171.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Burkina Faso are 2.9 cm taller than in Benin
Benin: 158.4 cm (2019) · Burkina Faso: 161.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Benin is 0.52 years older than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 17.8 years (2023) · Burkina Faso: 17.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Benin have 0.4 more children on average than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 4.48 children per woman (2024) · Burkina Faso: 4.11 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Benin and Burkina Faso are practically level
Benin: 3.2% (2025) · Burkina Faso: 2.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Burkina Faso hosts 49% more refugees per resident than Benin
Benin: 1.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Burkina Faso: 1.7 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Benin and Burkina Faso are practically level
Benin: 0 (2026) · Burkina Faso: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Benin and Burkina Faso are practically level
Benin: 1 (2026) · Burkina Faso: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Burkina Faso’s economy is 12% larger than Benin’s
Benin: $24.6 billion (2025) · Burkina Faso: $27.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Benin produces 57% more per person than Burkina Faso
Benin: Int$4,817 (2025) · Burkina Faso: Int$3,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Burkina Faso than in Benin (Gini 3 points higher)
Benin: 34.4 (2021) · Burkina Faso: 37.4 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
42% of people in Burkina Faso live on less than $3 a day, versus 27% in Benin
Benin: 27.2% (2021) · Burkina Faso: 42.1% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in Burkina Faso, versus 1.6% in Benin
Benin: 1.6% (2025) · Burkina Faso: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Burkina Faso spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Benin 0.9%
Benin: 0.9% (2025) · Burkina Faso: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Benin: no data · Burkina Faso: 18.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Burkina Faso’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Benin’s
Benin: 34% (2025) · Burkina Faso: 37% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Burkina Faso spends 54% more on health per person than Benin
Benin: $47 (2023) · Burkina Faso: $72 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Burkina Faso live 0.33 years longer than in Benin
Benin: 61 years (2024) · Burkina Faso: 61.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Benin is 4% more likely to die before turning one than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 45.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Burkina Faso: 43.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Benin has 46% more doctors per person than Burkina Faso
Benin: 0.2 per 1,000 (2023) · Burkina Faso: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Benin has 2.2 times as many hospital beds per person as Burkina Faso
Benin: 0.4 per 1,000 (2021) · Burkina Faso: 0.2 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Burkina Faso is 22% higher than in Benin
Benin: 16.2 per 100k (2023) · Burkina Faso: 19.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
11% of adults in Benin are obese, versus 7.0% in Burkina Faso
Benin: 10.9% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Burkina Faso smoke, versus 7.4% in Benin
Benin: 7.4% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 11.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Burkina Faso rate their lives 0.06 points higher than in Benin
Benin: 4.39 (2025) · Burkina Faso: 4.46 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Burkina Faso drink 21% more alcohol than in Benin
Benin: 4.1 litres (2023) · Burkina Faso: 4.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Burkina Faso has 34% more meat per person than Benin
Benin: 17.3 kg (2022) · Burkina Faso: 23.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Burkina Faso has 88 kcal more food per person per day than Benin
Benin: 2,703 kcal (2022) · Burkina Faso: 2,791 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Benin: no data · Burkina Faso: 2,356 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Benin went to school 0.93 years longer than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 3.2 years (2023) · Burkina Faso: 2.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Benin welcomed 4.3 times as many tourists per resident as Burkina Faso (2019)
Benin: 0.02 (2019) · Burkina Faso: 0.01 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Burkina Faso has 1 more World Heritage site than Benin (4 against 3)
Benin: 3 (2026) · Burkina Faso: 4 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Burkina Faso has won 1 Olympic medal, Benin none
Benin: 0 (2026 edition) · Burkina Faso: 1 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
34% of people in Benin are online, versus 28% in Burkina Faso
Benin: 34% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 28% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Benin is 8% faster than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 59 Mbps (2026) · Burkina Faso: 55 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
59% of people in Benin have electricity, versus 34% in Burkina Faso
Benin: 59% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 34% (2024)
How many live in cities?
53% of people in Benin live in cities, versus 29% in Burkina Faso
Benin: 53% (2025) · Burkina Faso: 29% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Benin has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Burkina Faso 117
Benin: 126 (2024) · Burkina Faso: 117 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Burkina Faso’s railway network is 18% longer than Benin’s
Benin: 438 km (2014) · Burkina Faso: 518 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Burkina Faso fly 71 times as many passengers per resident as those from Benin
Benin: 0.000061 (2016) · Burkina Faso: 0.0043 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 28% of Benin, but only 12% of Burkina Faso
Benin: 28.1% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 12.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Benin emits 52% more CO₂ than someone in Burkina Faso
Benin: 0.4 t (2024) · Burkina Faso: 0.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Burkina Faso’s electricity is renewable, versus 4.0% in Benin
Benin: 4% (2024) · Burkina Faso: 17.2% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Benin carries 2% more fine dust than in Burkina Faso
Benin: 35.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Burkina Faso: 34.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Burkina Faso are 20% deadlier than in Benin
Benin: 38.1 per 100k (2023) · Burkina Faso: 45.7 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Burkina Faso is on average 1.0 °C warmer than Benin
Benin: 28°C (2016–2025 avg) · Burkina Faso: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Benin gets 66% more rain than Burkina Faso
Benin: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Burkina Faso: 610 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Benin bigger than Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso is larger. Benin fits inside Burkina Faso 2.4 times.
Which has more people, Benin or Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso has 63% more people than Benin (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Benin or Burkina Faso?
People in Burkina Faso live 0.33 years longer than in Benin. Life expectancy at birth is 61.0 years in Benin and 61.3 in Burkina Faso.
Are people taller in Benin or Burkina Faso?
Men in Burkina Faso are 3.4 cm taller than in Benin (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
