Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Benin instead of Mississippi, you would:

Health

live 9.7 years less

In Mississippi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Benin, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

be 53.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Mississippi, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Benin, that number is 1.4% as of 2023.

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make 90.9% less money

Mississippi has a GDP per capita of $41,778 as of 2024, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $3,800 as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 58.5% less likely to have internet access

In Mississippi, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Benin, about 34.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Mississippi vs. Benin

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Benin is 35.7% cheaper than Mississippi
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Size Comparison · See true size
Mississippi is around the same size as Benin.
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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 Mississippi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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