If you lived in Benin instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 71.1% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Benin, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 20.9 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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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be 31.4% more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Benin, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 73.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Benin, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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make 95.9% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $1,658 as of 2025.

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Life

have 5.9 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 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 47.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Benin, 518.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 44.4% less likely to be literate

In Puerto Rico, the literacy rate is 92.4% as of 2021. In Benin, it is 51.4% as of 2022.

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be 7.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 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 Puerto Rico, 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 61.1% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. 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 Puerto Rico, 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 24.4% less on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% 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 75.8% less coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Benin, that number is 121 km.

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Safety

be 98.4% more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Benin, they kill 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 95.0% less strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Benin withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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find 99.0% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Benin has 0.3 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 89.8% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 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 (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). 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 Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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