Key features of human rights in Benin
Benin: Key features of human rights was 0.836 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Key features of human rights in Benin, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Benin recorded 0.836 for key features of human rights in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key features of human rights in Benin peaked at 0.916 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.187, in 1900.
Benin ranks 63rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key features of human rights in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.187 | — |
| 1901 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.187 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.194 | +3.7% |
| 1946 | 0.2 | +3.1% |
| 1947 | 0.201 | +0.5% |
| 1948 | 0.207 | +3.0% |
| 1949 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.207 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.224 | +8.2% |
| 1959 | 0.242 | +8.0% |
| 1960 | 0.512 | +111.6% |
| 1961 | 0.519 | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 0.519 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.519 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.503 | -3.1% |
| 1965 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.516 | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 0.515 | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.461 | -10.5% |
| 1973 | 0.283 | -38.6% |
| 1974 | 0.273 | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 0.27 | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.272 | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 0.272 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.267 | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.267 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.265 | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.799 | +201.5% |
| 1991 | 0.832 | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 0.879 | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 0.879 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.879 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.879 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.879 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.874 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.873 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 0.873 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.874 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.874 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.869 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 0.858 | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 0.862 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 0.861 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.861 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.865 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.859 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.86 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.859 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.858 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.868 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 0.895 | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 0.916 | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 0.871 | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 0.837 | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 0.815 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.808 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.827 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 0.822 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 0.832 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 0.836 | +0.5% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 0.836 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.6365, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 0.836 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.6165, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.187 | 0.187 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.187 | 0.187 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.187 | 0.187 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.187 | 0.187 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1944 | 0.187 | 0.207 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2122 | 0.207 | 0.242 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5087 | 0.503 | 0.519 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3398 | 0.27 | 0.516 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2676 | 0.265 | 0.272 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8648 | 0.799 | 0.879 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8679 | 0.858 | 0.874 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8688 | 0.837 | 0.916 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8233 | 0.808 | 0.836 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More social development data for Benin
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 16,974 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,279 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,279 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key features of human rights in Benin?
- Key features of human rights in Benin was 0.836 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key features of human rights recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 0.916 in 2017.
- What is the lowest key features of human rights recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.187 in 1900.
- How does Benin rank for key features of human rights?
- Benin ranks 63rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key features of human rights rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key features of human rights. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.