Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 17.9 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 97.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 17.0 times more doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 2.3 times more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.3 times more likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 54.3 times more money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 96.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 87.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 68.3% fewer children
In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 75.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 43.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 67.8% more on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 5.0 times more on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 164.7 times more coastline
Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 42.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 138.8 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 112.0 times more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 28.7 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 81.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 27.8 times more CO2
Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.