Country profile

Benin

Sub-Saharan Africa Lower middle income14.46M inhabitants

Last updated March 1, 2026

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Composite GEFRI Score

Critically unprepared

Benin is critically unprepared for education futures (21st percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

29.14Composite score
Global percentile
21st
Global rank
#141
Regional rank
#16
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
33.28
15th percentileGlobal avg. 56.44
Human Capital
22.09
6th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03
Innovation
33.96
36th percentileGlobal avg. 42.60
Governance
46.35
52nd percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
10.00
32nd percentileGlobal avg. 49.62

Country profile

Benin trails global peers in Infrastructure (33, 15th percentile) and Human Capital (22, 6th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity leans toward boys in secondary pathways, signalling persistent barriers for girls.

Governance presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, Benin leads most clearly in Governance, sitting well above the peer average.

Note: Most indicators rely on observed data, offering a dependable evidence base for decisions.

Key insights

  • Falls below many peers at the 21st percentile.
  • Places 141st worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 16th within Sub-Saharan Africa .
  • Scores range from Governance (46.4) to Access & Parity (10.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Leads regional peers most clearly in Governance.

Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
681South Africa57.14
692Mauritius56.87
——SeychellesMicrostate55.72
753Botswana55.44
1074Namibia43.86
1105Ghana40.92
1126Cabo Verde39.81
1167Eswatini37.54
1248Senegal35.31
1259Gabon34.39
12710Rwanda33.46
12811Kenya33.03
——Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate32.63
13512Cote d'Ivoire31.71
13613Gambia, The31.33
13914Lesotho29.76
14015Equatorial Guinea29.48
14116Benin29.14
14217Zambia28.93
14318ZimbabweFCS28.92
14519Tanzania28.51
14620Togo28.14
14721CameroonFCS27.69
14922Mauritania25.98
15023Angola25.95
15124ComorosFCS25.84
15325Sierra Leone25.44
15426EthiopiaFCS24.75
15527Congo, Rep.FCS24.74
15628MozambiqueFCS24.40
15729NigeriaFCS24.09
15830Madagascar23.66
15931MaliFCS23.09
16032Malawi23.03
16133Burkina FasoFCS22.80
16234Uganda22.59
16435Guinea22.13
16636Liberia21.08
16737NigerFCS20.37
16838SudanFCS19.85
16939BurundiFCS18.87
17040Guinea-BissauFCS18.68
17141EritreaFCS18.19
17242Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS17.22
17443ChadFCS15.73
17544Somalia, Fed. Rep.FCS14.74
17645South SudanFCS14.63
17746Central African RepublicFCS13.32