Employment rate in Benin
Benin: Employment rate was 75.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment rate in Benin, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 75.1% for employment rate in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Benin peaked at 75.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 70.0%, in 2011.
That places Benin 13th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 71.0% | — |
| 1992 | 71.1% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 71.0% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 71.0% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 71.1% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 71.1% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 71.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 71.2% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 71.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 71.2% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 71.2% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 71.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 71.2% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 71.2% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 71.1% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 70.0% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 70.5% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 71.1% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 71.7% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 72.1% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 72.6% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 73.1% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 74.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 73.6% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 74.7% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 75.0% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 75.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 75.0% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 75.1% | +0.2% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 75.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.4%, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 75.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.8%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.1% | 71.0% | 71.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.2% | 71.2% | 71.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.0% | 70.0% | 74.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.8% | 73.6% | 75.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More work & labour data for Benin
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4203 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.395 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4457 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3247 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 15,661 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,269 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,967 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 19,620 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 39,588 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Benin?
- Employment rate in Benin was 75.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 75.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.0% in 2011.
- How does Benin rank for employment rate?
- Benin ranks 13th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.