If you lived in Benin instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 24.4 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Benin, that number is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 43.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Benin, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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make 97.1% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $1,658 as of 2025.

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Life

have 6.8 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Benin, there are 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 17.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Benin, on the other hand, 45.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 43.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Benin, that number is 57% of people on average (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 64.5% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Benin, about 34.0% do as of 2024.

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be 30.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Benin, 70% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 15.2% less on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Benin spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 83.5% less coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Benin, that number is 121 km.

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Infrastructure

find 99.3% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Benin has 0.3 as of 2024.

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use 98.2% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Benin uses 115 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 89.3% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Benin emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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