Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Benin
Benin: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 11.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Benin, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Benin is 11.1%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 4.3% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Benin peaked at 14.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 2013.
That places Benin 52nd out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 14.3% | — |
| 2002 | 12.8% | -10.5% |
| 2003 | 12.1% | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 12.2% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 11.6% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 11.3% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 11.1% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 10.8% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 10.5% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 9.8% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 10.2% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 10.8% | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 11.5% | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 11.7% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 11.9% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 11.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11.6% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 11.1% | -4.3% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 11.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.1%, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Benin's 11.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.8%, 59% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.0% | 10.8% | 14.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 10.4% | 9.8% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 11.1% | 11.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 49 Cote d'Ivoire 11.4% compare
- 50 Macao 11.2% compare
- 50 South Africa 11.2% compare
- 52 Lebanon 11.1% compare
- 54 Mauritania 11.0% compare
- 55 Sudan 10.9% compare
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 13,632 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 21 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0741 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0763 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Benin?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Benin was 11.1% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 14.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 2013.
- How does Benin rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Benin ranks 52nd out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.