Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Benin instead of New Caledonia, you would:

Health

live 16.6 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (75 years for men, 83 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 87.1% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Benin, that number is 1.4% as of 2023.

make 89.4% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $35,700 as of 2021, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $3,800 as of 2023.

be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In New Caledonia, 17.0% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In Benin, however, that number is 38.5% as of 2019.

Life

have 2.9 times more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 13.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Benin, there are 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 52.7% less likely to be literate

In New Caledonia, the literacy rate is 96.9% as of 2015. In Benin, it is 45.8% as of 2021.

be 11.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In New Caledonia, approximately 5.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Benin, on the other hand, 55.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 43.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In New Caledonia, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Benin, 56% of the population do as of 2022.

be 58.5% less likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Benin, about 34.0% do as of 2021.

be 24.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In New Caledonia, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Benin, 75% of people do as of 2020.

Geography

see 94.6% less coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 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 New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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