Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin
Benin: Share of births attended by skilled health staff was 78.1% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin, 1996–2018
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
In 2018, share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin stood at 78.1%.
That represents a change of up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin peaked at 80.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 59.8%, in 1996.
That places Benin 139th out of 169 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 59.8% | — |
| 2001 | 65.5% | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 75.0% | +14.5% |
| 2006 | 74.0% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 80.9% | +9.3% |
| 2014 | 77.2% | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 78.1% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.8% | 59.8% | 59.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 71.5% | 65.5% | 75.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 78.7% | 77.2% | 80.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More health data for Benin
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8458 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,002 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 13,632 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2035 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2091 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin?
- Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Benin was 78.1% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 80.9% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.8% in 1996.
- How does Benin rank for share of births attended by skilled health staff?
- Benin ranks 139th out of 169 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of births attended by skilled health staff rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births attended by skilled health staff. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Skilled health staff refers to professionals trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.