Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin
Benin: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas was 71.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin, 1996–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2024, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin stood at 71.6%. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin peaked at 71.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.4%, in 1996.
Benin ranks 201st of 212 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.9% | 34.4% | 46.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 52.0% | 47.5% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.6% | 51.7% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.2% | 66.1% | 71.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More energy & mining data for Benin
- Fuel imports 13.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 0.9% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 0.1% (2024)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 0.0% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 58.6% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 68.3% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin?
- Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Benin was 71.6% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 71.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.4% in 1996.
- How does Benin rank for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- Benin ranks 201st out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.