Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Niger instead of Benin, you would:

Health

be 42.7% less likely to be obese

In Benin, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Niger, that number is 5.5% of people as of 2016.

live 2.1 years less

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Niger, that number is 60 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 62.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Niger, that number is 0.6% as of 2023.

make 57.9% less money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $3,800 as of 2023, while in Niger, the GDP per capita is $1,600 as of 2023.

Life

be 15.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 523.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Niger, 441.0 women do as of 2020.

have 15.6% more children

In Benin, there are approximately 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Niger, there are 46.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 18.6% less likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 45.8% as of 2021. In Niger, it is 37.3% as of 2018.

be 19.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 55.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Niger, on the other hand, 66.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 65.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 56% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Niger, that number is 20% of people on average (66% in urban areas, and 9% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 35.3% less likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Niger, about 22.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 26.7% more on education

Benin spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Niger spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Benin spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Niger, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Niger: At a glance

Niger is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,266,700 sq km. Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999, BARE was killed in a counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment that would allow him to extend his term as president. In February 2010, a military coup deposed TANDJA, immediately suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Cabinet. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Movement for Justice, a predominantly ethnic Tuareg rebel group, emerged in February 2007, and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 ended the rebellion. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.
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