Facts and Figures

IOM Member State since 2000 Capital: Porto-Novo Population (2011): 9.1 million Area: 112,622 sq km Major Languages: French (official) Fon, Ge, Bariba, Yoruba, Dendi Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine Franc (XOF) GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 1,587 HDI Rank (2011): 167 of 187 Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 250 million Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): -0.2 migrants / 1,000 population Immigrants (2010): 2.5% Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 45.5% Population under 15 (2011): 43.6% Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): 1%
Sources and Definitions More Facts and Figures Population Growth Rate (2010-2015): 2.70% Life Expectancy at Birth (2010-2015): Male, 54.8 years; Female, 58.7 years Human Development Index (2010): 0.435

Latest News

• Benin Remains a Country of Emigration and Destination, IOM Migration Profile Confirms

Overview

IOM programmes in Benin are currently oriented more towards Migration and Development and Labour Migration activities.

Migration Activities

• Migration and Development
• Regulating Migration

In September 2005, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Benin, IOM funded the project “Mobilization of Qualified Benin Diaspora and Identification of Benin’s Needs in Terms of Scientific and Technical Expertise”. This project is, first, an initiative to identify needs for scientific and technical expertise and secondly, a framework for mobilizing Beninese migrant workers able to fulfill these needs for the development of the country.

Results:

• The creation of a database of employees (skilled and technically trained workers) of the Beninese Diaspora in host countries in Africa and Europe. The target countries in Africa include Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Gabon and Congo; those in Europe include France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. North America (Canada and the United States) is also included.
• The development of a directory on the skills gap for scientific and technical expertise of Benin (based on demands by the beneficiary institutions – universities, hospitals, businesses, etc.). in both the private and public sectors
• The establishment of a system of information exchange and awareness through a website (http://www.midabenin.org and dissemination of information on the country.

Furthermore, a Ministerial Conference of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the transfer of migrants' funds (Remittances) was held in Cotonou, Benin in February 2006. It was jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Benin, IOM and the Office of the High Representative of the United Nations Least Developed Countries, Developing Countries Landlocked and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) with financial support from the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation Programme for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Norway, Ireland and The World Bank.

Following this Conference, a Ministerial Declaration was adopted. It recommended, inter alia, the creation of an Observatory of remittances of migrants from LDCs. Benin has been chosen to host the headquarters. The Declaration also called upon IOM and other relevant organizations to take initiatives and actions required to support it.

Benin has made available a building that temporarily housed the headquarters of the Observatory. IOM funded a feasibility study in Cotonou to assess the capacity of Benin to host the Observatory.

IOM continues to support the Government of Benin through its projects and financial mobilization in Benin.

Migration and Development

Donors

• IOM Development Fund (formerly the 1035 Facility)

Within the framework of the Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme, IOM supports the Government of Benin by providing technical support towards the mobilization and utilization of human, financial and other resources of the Benin Diaspora.

Project

• Regional Pilot Project for Collecting Data on the Transfer of Funds of Migrants from Three Least Developed Countries in West Africa: Benin, Mali and Sierra Leone

Regulating Migration

Donor

• European Commission

Through the project "Partnership for Labour Migration", IOM and its partners are proposing to support Benin, Cameroon, Mali and Senegal to better manage and promote legal labour migration to European Union member countries by:

• Encouraging the effective management of international mobility of workers, and
• Stimulating positive effects of labour migration on development.

This will be widely used to establish and encourage cooperation and dialogue between the beneficiary countries in sub-Saharan countries and EU members.

Projects

• Partnership for Labour Migration

Last updated:
Main text: November 2009
Facts and figures: April 2012