Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Benin
Benin: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 4.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Benin, 2003–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 4.4% for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.8% on the previous year and down 27.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Benin peaked at 17.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2021.
That places Benin 79th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5.2% | — |
| 2011 | 6.0% | +15.4% |
| 2015 | 17.5% | +193.6% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | -70.8% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | -14.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 5.1% | 17.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 76 Kenya 4.4% compare
- 77 Russian Federation 4.4% compare
- 78 Norway 4.4% compare
- 80 Senegal 4.3% compare
- 81 Netherlands 4.2% compare
- 82 Côte d'Ivoire 4.2% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Benin
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,356 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 20.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 11.63 (2013)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 11.6% (2013)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2013)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Benin?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in Benin was 4.4% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 17.5% in 2015.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2021.
- How does Benin rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- Benin ranks 79th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.