Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin
Benin: Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access was 45.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access 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 rural population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin is 45.0%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 177.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin peaked at 45.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 1996.
That places Benin 178th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2.8% | — |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | +27.8% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | +21.8% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | +17.6% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | -18.5% |
| 2002 | 6.8% | +54.5% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 8.5% | +7.6% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | +22.8% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | +28.3% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 13.4% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 16.2% | +20.9% |
| 2015 | 11.1% | -31.5% |
| 2016 | 15.2% | +36.9% |
| 2017 | 17.2% | +13.2% |
| 2018 | 16.3% | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 17.4% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 18.0% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 45.5% | +152.8% |
| 2023 | 43.7% | -4.0% |
| 2024 | 45.0% | +3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 4.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 7.9% | 4.4% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 10.6% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.9% | 17.4% | 45.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More energy & mining data for Benin
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 13.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin?
- Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Benin was 45.0% 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 share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 45.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 1996.
- How does Benin rank for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access?
- Benin ranks 178th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 177.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access. 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
Having access to electricity is defined in international statistics as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.