Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Benin instead of Western Sahara, you would:

Health

live 2.3 years less

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In Benin, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 52.0% more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $3,800 as of 2023.

Life

have 43.9% more children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Benin, there are 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 16.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Western Sahara, approximately 47.9 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.

Geography

see 89.1% less coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 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 Western Sahara? See an in-depth size comparison.

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