Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Benin instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

live 16.2 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Benin, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 87.5% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Benin, that number is 1.5% as of 2022.

make 81.7% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $18,600 as of 2021, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $3,400 as of 2022.

be 95.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In French Polynesia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In Benin, however, that number is 38.5% as of 2019.

Life

have 3.0 times more children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 13.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Benin, there are 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 12.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Benin, on the other hand, 55.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 58.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2020. In Benin, 42% of the population do as of 2021.

be 53.2% less likely to have internet access

In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Benin, about 34.0% do as of 2021.

be 25.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Benin, 75% of people do as of 2020.

Geography

see 95.2% less coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Benin, that number is 121 km.

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

Benin: At a glance

Benin is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 110,622 sq km. Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI, who won a second five-year term in March 2011, has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.
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How big is Benin compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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