Unemployment rate in Benin
Benin: Unemployment rate was 1.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Benin, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Benin is 1.6%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Benin peaked at 2.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2002.
That places Benin 174th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.6% | — |
| 1992 | 1.5% | -7.8% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | -10.2% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -11.7% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -9.4% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -11.3% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -9.9% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +154.5% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -10.6% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -11.2% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | -15.7% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -14.9% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | +25.0% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | +20.8% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | -2.9% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 1.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 31% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 1.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 29% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Benin changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +154.5% | 1.0% | 2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.0% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 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 unemployment rate in Benin?
- Unemployment rate in Benin was 1.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2002.
- How does Benin rank for unemployment rate?
- Benin ranks 174th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.7%. 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 Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.