Benin has a GDP of $21.5B compared to $609B for Ireland, ranking 126/197 and 25/197 by economy size, respectively.
Benin has $11.6B in government debt (51.2% of GDP), compared to $250B (34.3% of GDP) in Ireland.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | $226,195,578 | $1,651,120,631 | $1,998,550,222 | $24,110,313,424 |
| 1961 | $235,668,221 | $1,702,986,961 | $2,151,772,980 | $25,319,727,520 |
| 1962 | $236,434,954 | $1,644,635,648 | $2,329,372,972 | $26,134,122,485 |
| 1963 | $253,927,697 | $1,722,427,375 | $2,505,073,358 | $27,374,091,003 |
| 1964 | $269,819,006 | $1,836,981,870 | $2,851,091,646 | $28,410,463,564 |
| 1965 | $289,908,680 | $1,934,229,171 | $3,035,655,794 | $28,959,765,672 |
| 1966 | $302,925,235 | $2,003,394,551 | $3,198,820,904 | $29,218,403,167 |
| 1967 | $306,221,953 | $2,024,999,131 | $3,445,739,915 | $30,908,893,565 |
| 1968 | $326,323,105 | $2,102,806,394 | $3,378,701,147 | $33,457,000,744 |
| 1969 | $330,748,245 | $2,163,314,606 | $3,902,721,632 | $35,418,870,779 |
| 1970 | $333,627,713 | $2,208,695,702 | $4,395,995,086 | $36,361,200,213 |
| 1971 | $335,073,028 | $2,175,635,021 | $5,098,250,287 | $37,622,893,379 |
| 1972 | $410,331,857 | $2,315,449,324 | $6,318,060,582 | $40,064,546,829 |
| 1973 | $504,376,074 | $2,401,263,703 | $7,481,173,066 | $41,956,165,577 |
| 1974 | $554,654,861 | $2,481,449,394 | $7,896,860,615 | $43,743,594,856 |
| 1975 | $676,870,140 | $2,359,973,874 | $9,483,808,362 | $46,218,015,395 |
| 1976 | $698,408,262 | $2,380,844,453 | $9,453,756,015 | $46,862,667,362 |
| 1977 | $750,049,779 | $2,499,497,734 | $11,248,340,431 | $50,710,701,806 |
| 1978 | $928,843,469 | $2,530,868,381 | $14,647,996,074 | $54,355,141,813 |
| 1979 | $1,186,231,020 | $2,696,279,546 | $18,319,334,300 | $56,025,495,103 |
| 1980 | $1,405,251,847 | $2,879,134,858 | $21,747,855,640 | $57,750,704,523 |
| 1981 | $1,291,120,188 | $3,165,730,597 | $20,670,190,138 | $59,671,040,951 |
| 1982 | $1,267,778,670 | $3,236,486,776 | $21,474,752,962 | $61,033,610,334 |
| 1983 | $1,095,348,199 | $3,095,770,068 | $20,766,047,764 | $60,884,504,483 |
| 1984 | $1,051,134,009 | $3,341,259,668 | $20,106,648,455 | $63,535,642,712 |
| 1985 | $1,045,712,789 | $3,592,867,375 | $21,270,013,326 | $65,496,107,817 |
| 1986 | $1,336,102,025 | $3,670,873,613 | $28,714,571,852 | $65,215,568,204 |
| 1987 | $1,562,412,228 | $3,615,810,400 | $33,920,518,493 | $68,256,629,227 |
| 1988 | $1,620,246,084 | $3,738,937,614 | $37,772,896,221 | $71,817,859,763 |
| 1989 | $1,502,294,416 | $3,632,222,333 | $39,238,392,678 | $75,993,292,636 |
| 1990 | $1,959,965,330 | $3,958,255,490 | $49,305,632,408 | $82,427,285,856 |
| 1991 | $1,986,437,797 | $4,125,523,428 | $49,787,501,584 | $84,017,835,878 |
| 1992 | $1,695,315,306 | $4,247,544,481 | $55,918,538,121 | $86,826,782,446 |
| 1993 | $2,274,558,083 | $4,495,438,486 | $52,417,477,614 | $89,164,687,696 |
| 1994 | $1,598,075,944 | $4,586,264,346 | $57,097,656,066 | $94,296,853,731 |
| 1995 | $2,169,627,138 | $4,863,513,136 | $69,139,823,232 | $103,381,809,954 |
| 1996 | $2,361,116,449 | $5,073,825,258 | $75,790,786,290 | $111,010,999,493 |
| 1997 | $2,268,301,646 | $5,364,793,325 | $82,856,648,758 | $123,246,371,072 |
| 1998 | $2,455,092,686 | $5,577,293,440 | $90,199,410,116 | $134,050,299,131 |
| 1999 | $3,677,393,999 | $5,875,201,745 | $98,893,958,263 | $148,165,642,333 |
| 2000 | $3,519,991,440 | $6,219,354,273 | $100,207,610,430 | $162,098,435,202 |
| 2001 | $3,666,222,635 | $6,551,040,876 | $109,346,669,230 | $170,699,088,561 |
| 2002 | $4,194,342,686 | $6,855,207,726 | $128,596,035,288 | $180,769,250,950 |
| 2003 | $5,349,258,094 | $7,091,272,067 | $164,670,771,260 | $186,217,344,582 |
| 2004 | $6,190,270,380 | $7,405,393,051 | $194,372,115,041 | $198,858,038,462 |
| 2005 | $6,567,654,954 | $7,532,259,620 | $211,876,989,656 | $210,272,056,411 |
| 2006 | $7,034,111,315 | $7,829,312,268 | $232,180,617,162 | $220,760,118,842 |
| 2007 | $8,169,048,383 | $8,298,002,250 | $270,079,279,420 | $232,482,742,332 |
| 2008 | $9,787,734,526 | $8,704,320,326 | $275,447,471,451 | $222,058,051,544 |
| 2009 | $9,738,626,517 | $8,906,198,943 | $236,443,115,854 | $210,742,455,593 |
| 2010 | $9,535,345,016 | $9,094,481,754 | $221,732,824,603 | $214,289,191,597 |
| 2011 | $10,693,321,364 | $9,364,019,722 | $240,975,871,047 | $217,736,818,590 |
| 2012 | $11,141,358,116 | $9,814,543,622 | $226,921,827,888 | $216,854,920,424 |
| 2013 | $12,517,845,124 | $10,520,350,022 | $242,924,245,719 | $221,610,413,457 |
| 2014 | $13,284,527,847 | $11,189,200,116 | $266,490,442,124 | $242,410,308,909 |
| 2015 | $11,388,160,997 | $11,388,160,997 | $302,101,388,556 | $302,101,388,556 |
| 2016 | $11,821,065,853 | $11,768,488,383 | $305,431,252,709 | $305,795,232,417 |
| 2017 | $12,701,655,837 | $12,435,945,493 | $348,355,212,569 | $336,707,637,030 |
| 2018 | $14,262,408,090 | $13,268,812,303 | $395,780,319,817 | $362,595,940,329 |
| 2019 | $14,391,686,313 | $14,179,807,375 | $407,211,793,801 | $380,627,401,463 |
| 2020 | $15,686,741,884 | $14,725,558,723 | $436,009,027,819 | $407,856,325,068 |
| 2021 | $17,687,623,530 | $15,779,238,957 | $530,394,123,830 | $474,166,373,640 |
| 2022 | $17,425,405,091 | $16,765,906,415 | $548,341,794,599 | $509,781,668,506 |
| 2023 | $19,673,291,004 | $17,831,007,126 | $567,372,737,459 | $496,851,698,334 |
| 2024 | $21,482,643,706 | $19,159,972,711 | $609,157,459,747 | $509,767,195,342 |
Economic indicators
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$21.5B
2024 |
$609B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
126/197
2024 |
25/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
9.2%
2023-2024 |
7.36%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$1,485
2024 |
$112,895
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
162/197
2024 |
4/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$4,435
2024 |
$130,797
2024 |
| Government debt |
$11.6B
2024 |
$250B
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
51.2%
2026 |
34.3%
2026 |
| Government debt per person |
$803
2024 |
$46,415
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
150/185
2024 |
11/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,059
2026 |
$44,579
2026 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies | n/a |
$110B
2018 |
| Number of billionaires | n/a |
11
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
27.2%
2021 |
24.1%
2023 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.1%
2021 |
3.7%
2023 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
19.1%
2026 |
24.2%
2026 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2%
2025-2026 |
2.11%
2023-2024 |
| Unemployment rate |
1.69%
2022 |
4.27%
2024 |
| Population |
15174345
|
5500964
|
GDP per capita in Benin vs Ireland
Benin's GDP per capita is $1,485, ranking 162/197, compared to $112,895 in Ireland, ranking 4/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Benin ranks 162nd at $4,435, while Ireland ranks 4th at $130,797.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $89.9 | - | $707 | - |
| 1961 | $92.1 | - | $762 | - |
| 1962 | $90.8 | - | $821 | - |
| 1963 | $95.7 | - | $878 | - |
| 1964 | $99.8 | - | $995 | - |
| 1965 | $105.1 | - | $1,055 | - |
| 1966 | $107.6 | - | $1,107 | - |
| 1967 | $106.6 | - | $1,187 | - |
| 1968 | $111.2 | - | $1,159 | - |
| 1969 | $110.3 | - | $1,331 | - |
| 1970 | $108.8 | - | $1,487 | - |
| 1971 | $106.9 | - | $1,704 | - |
| 1972 | $127.9 | - | $2,080 | - |
| 1973 | $153.6 | - | $2,424 | - |
| 1974 | $164.9 | - | $2,517 | - |
| 1975 | $196.5 | - | $2,973 | - |
| 1976 | $197.7 | - | $2,920 | - |
| 1977 | $207 | - | $3,427 | - |
| 1978 | $249.8 | - | $4,400 | - |
| 1979 | $311 | - | $5,430 | - |
| 1980 | $358 | - | $6,372 | - |
| 1981 | $320 | - | $5,986 | - |
| 1982 | $305 | - | $6,161 | - |
| 1983 | $256 | - | $5,915 | - |
| 1984 | $238.6 | - | $5,692 | - |
| 1985 | $230.4 | - | $6,012 | - |
| 1986 | $285.8 | - | $8,112 | - |
| 1987 | $324 | - | $9,582 | - |
| 1988 | $326 | - | $10,716 | - |
| 1989 | $293.3 | - | $11,176 | - |
| 1990 | $371 | $1,186 | $14,031 | $13,734 |
| 1991 | $365 | $1,239 | $14,087 | $14,389 |
| 1992 | $302 | $1,265 | $15,714 | $15,106 |
| 1993 | $387 | $1,311 | $14,657 | $15,801 |
| 1994 | $262.1 | $1,316 | $15,903 | $17,000 |
| 1995 | $348 | $1,395 | $19,158 | $18,932 |
| 1996 | $369 | $1,444 | $20,836 | $20,474 |
| 1997 | $345 | $1,508 | $22,551 | $22,632 |
| 1998 | $362 | $1,537 | $24,295 | $25,092 |
| 1999 | $525 | $1,592 | $26,338 | $27,041 |
| 2000 | $487 | $1,671 | $26,335 | $30,209 |
| 2001 | $492 | $1,746 | $28,282 | $32,577 |
| 2002 | $546 | $1,800 | $32,705 | $35,222 |
| 2003 | $676 | $1,842 | $41,204 | $36,285 |
| 2004 | $759 | $1,915 | $47,754 | $38,734 |
| 2005 | $779 | $1,946 | $50,933 | $40,466 |
| 2006 | $809 | $2,021 | $54,329 | $44,232 |
| 2007 | $912 | $2,136 | $61,396 | $46,784 |
| 2008 | $1,061 | $2,215 | $61,353 | $44,169 |
| 2009 | $1,024 | $2,213 | $52,133 | $41,470 |
| 2010 | $973 | $2,220 | $48,624 | $43,217 |
| 2011 | $1,059 | $2,265 | $52,614 | $45,526 |
| 2012 | $1,072 | $2,346 | $49,336 | $46,726 |
| 2013 | $1,169 | $2,512 | $52,538 | $48,839 |
| 2014 | $1,204 | $2,670 | $57,215 | $52,641 |
| 2015 | $1,002 | $2,725 | $64,250 | $71,607 |
| 2016 | $1,011 | $2,842 | $64,130 | $73,013 |
| 2017 | $1,055 | $2,886 | $72,161 | $80,450 |
| 2018 | $1,152 | $2,965 | $80,804 | $86,299 |
| 2019 | $1,131 | $3,149 | $81,828 | $92,023 |
| 2020 | $1,200 | $3,245 | $86,514 | $97,800 |
| 2021 | $1,319 | $3,464 | $103,783 | $116,904 |
| 2022 | $1,266 | $3,844 | $105,191 | $136,104 |
| 2023 | $1,394 | $4,130 | $106,819 | $124,808 |
| 2024 | $1,485 | $4,435 | $112,895 | $130,797 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Benin's government spending was $3.92B, accounting for 19.1% of its GDP, while Ireland's spent $143B, or 24.2% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 51.2% in Benin and 34.3% in Ireland, ranking 106/185 and 150/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1960 | - | - | 29.1% | 44.9% |
| 1961 | - | - | 31.4% | 44.3% |
| 1962 | - | - | 31.7% | 44.5% |
| 1963 | - | - | 33.6% | 45.2% |
| 1964 | - | - | 34.8% | 43.1% |
| 1965 | - | - | 35.8% | 44.6% |
| 1966 | - | - | 36.9% | 47.7% |
| 1967 | - | - | 39.3% | 47.1% |
| 1968 | - | - | 40% | 44.7% |
| 1969 | - | - | 42.5% | 42.6% |
| 1970 | - | - | 44.1% | 41.7% |
| 1971 | - | - | 45.3% | 39.8% |
| 1972 | - | - | 41.5% | 37.3% |
| 1973 | - | - | 40.3% | 35.1% |
| 1974 | - | - | 44.3% | 43.5% |
| 1975 | - | - | 48.2% | 48.3% |
| 1976 | - | - | 47.8% | 51.7% |
| 1977 | - | - | 44.6% | 49.2% |
| 1978 | - | - | 46.2% | 50.6% |
| 1979 | - | - | 48.7% | 63.5% |
| 1980 | - | - | 53.7% | 64.6% |
| 1981 | - | - | 54.1% | 68.8% |
| 1982 | - | - | 56.7% | 73.5% |
| 1983 | - | - | 55.6% | 86.1% |
| 1984 | - | - | 52.7% | 90.2% |
| 1985 | - | - | 53.2% | 93% |
| 1986 | - | - | 52.9% | 107.2% |
| 1987 | - | - | 51.4% | 108.3% |
| 1988 | - | - | 48.2% | 106.5% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | 50.3% | 42.5% | 97.9% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | 45.3% | 44.6% | 92.7% |
| 1991 | 12.6% | 44% | 46.1% | 93.8% |
| 1992 | 13.5% | 41.8% | 46.8% | 90.6% |
| 1993 | 12% | 41.9% | 44.6% | 93.4% |
| 1994 | 13.6% | 64.6% | 44.2% | 88% |
| 1995 | 14.8% | 48.3% | 40.3% | 78.5% |
| 1996 | 13.3% | 43.4% | 38.5% | 69.8% |
| 1997 | 12.7% | 42.9% | 36.1% | 61.6% |
| 1998 | 10.9% | 39.2% | 34.2% | 51.4% |
| 1999 | 10.7% | 39.4% | 32.5% | 46.6% |
| 2000 | 15.6% | 39.6% | 30.6% | 36.4% |
| 2001 | 15.4% | 38% | 32.2% | 33.6% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | 30.8% | 32.9% | 30.9% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | 23.4% | 32.7% | 29.8% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | 21.5% | 32.8% | 28.1% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | 27% | 33% | 26.1% |
| 2006 | 13% | 8.37% | 33.6% | 23.7% |
| 2007 | 15.8% | 14.3% | 35.6% | 23.9% |
| 2008 | 14.5% | 18.3% | 41.6% | 42.5% |
| 2009 | 17% | 18.7% | 46.9% | 61.8% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | 21% | 64.9% | 86.1% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | 21.9% | 46.8% | 109.4% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | 19.5% | 42.2% | 118.7% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | 18.5% | 39.8% | 117.5% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | 22.3% | 36.5% | 101.3% |
| 2015 | 18.2% | 30.9% | 28% | 74% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | 35.9% | 27.5% | 72.6% |
| 2017 | 17.8% | 39.6% | 25.3% | 65.2% |
| 2018 | 16.6% | 41.1% | 24.8% | 61.5% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | 41.2% | 23.9% | 55.9% |
| 2020 | 19.1% | 46.1% | 26.7% | 57% |
| 2021 | 19.9% | 50.3% | 23.6% | 52.6% |
| 2022 | 19.9% | 54.2% | 20.6% | 43.1% |
| 2023 | 19.2% | 54.9% | 22.7% | 43.3% |
| 2024 | 18.3% | 54% | 23.4% | 41.1% |
| 2025 | 18.7% | 52.5% | 23.9% | 36.7% |
| 2026 | 19.1% | 51.2% | 24.2% | 34.3% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Benin's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$666M, equivalent to -3.1% of GDP. This compares to Ireland's surplus of $26.7B, or 4.38% of GDP.
Over the past 36 years, Benin recorded a fiscal deficit in 31 of those years, while Ireland ran a deficit in 21 years. On average, Benin posted an annual deficit equal to -1.85% of GDP, compared to deficit of -2.36% of GDP for Ireland.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
| 1926 | - | -1.95% |
| 1927 | - | -1.95% |
| 1928 | - | -1.95% |
| 1929 | - | -3.41% |
| 1930 | - | -3.41% |
| 1931 | - | -1.63% |
| 1932 | - | -1.63% |
| 1933 | - | 2.97% |
| 1934 | - | 2.97% |
| 1935 | - | 2.97% |
| 1936 | - | -0.19% |
| 1937 | - | -0.77% |
| 1938 | - | -0.92% |
| 1939 | - | -7.31% |
| 1940 | - | -0.15% |
| 1941 | - | -1.42% |
| 1942 | - | -2.48% |
| 1943 | - | -1.18% |
| 1944 | - | 0.39% |
| 1945 | - | -0.43% |
| 1946 | - | -0.43% |
| 1947 | - | -1.8% |
| 1948 | - | -1.29% |
| 1949 | - | -2.17% |
| 1950 | - | -5.21% |
| 1951 | - | -4.62% |
| 1952 | - | -7.84% |
| 1953 | - | -5.77% |
| 1954 | - | -5.28% |
| 1955 | - | -5.06% |
| 1956 | - | -3.23% |
| 1957 | - | -5.19% |
| 1958 | - | -4.3% |
| 1959 | - | -2.16% |
| 1960 | - | -1.97% |
| 1961 | - | -2.6% |
| 1962 | - | -2.91% |
| 1963 | - | -2.92% |
| 1964 | - | -3.35% |
| 1965 | - | -3.5% |
| 1966 | - | -2.26% |
| 1967 | - | -2.69% |
| 1968 | - | -2.72% |
| 1969 | - | -3.4% |
| 1970 | - | -3.64% |
| 1971 | - | -3.5% |
| 1972 | - | -3.23% |
| 1973 | - | -3.84% |
| 1974 | - | -6.96% |
| 1975 | - | -11.1% |
| 1976 | - | -7.34% |
| 1977 | - | -6.44% |
| 1978 | - | -8.27% |
| 1979 | - | -10% |
| 1980 | - | -11.1% |
| 1981 | - | -12.1% |
| 1982 | - | -13.1% |
| 1983 | - | -11.5% |
| 1984 | - | -9.43% |
| 1985 | - | -10.7% |
| 1986 | - | -10.5% |
| 1987 | - | -8.47% |
| 1988 | - | -4.62% |
| 1989 | 0.89% | -2.64% |
| 1990 | -2.37% | -2.69% |
| 1991 | -2.25% | -2.8% |
| 1992 | -1.98% | -2.84% |
| 1993 | -0.41% | -2.62% |
| 1994 | -1.57% | -1.82% |
| 1995 | -1.91% | -2.07% |
| 1996 | -0.11% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.47% | 1.37% |
| 1998 | 1.83% | 2.07% |
| 1999 | 1.94% | 3.54% |
| 2000 | -3.69% | 4.86% |
| 2001 | -3.27% | 0.96% |
| 2002 | -3.33% | -0.52% |
| 2003 | -1.07% | 0.35% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | 1.3% |
| 2005 | -1.52% | 1.57% |
| 2006 | -0.15% | 2.78% |
| 2007 | 0.22% | 0.27% |
| 2008 | -0.04% | -7.03% |
| 2009 | -2.24% | -13.9% |
| 2010 | -0.28% | -32.1% |
| 2011 | -0.98% | -13.5% |
| 2012 | -0.22% | -8.4% |
| 2013 | -1.37% | -6.27% |
| 2014 | -1.65% | -3.51% |
| 2015 | -5.55% | -1.97% |
| 2016 | -4.29% | -0.76% |
| 2017 | -4.2% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | -2.98% | 0.09% |
| 2019 | -0.54% | 0.41% |
| 2020 | -4.68% | -4.88% |
| 2021 | -5.71% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | -5.55% | 1.65% |
| 2023 | -4.13% | 1.48% |
| 2024 | -3.1% | 4.38% |
| 2025 | -2.9% | 1.69% |
| 2026 | -2.9% | 1.6% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 28 years, Benin has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.29%, compared with 2.18% in Ireland. In 2024, inflation was 2% in Benin and 2.11% in Ireland.
| Year | Inflation | |
|---|---|---|
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
| 1997 | 3.8% | 1.54% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | 2.41% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | 1.63% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | 5.58% |
| 2001 | 4% | 4.85% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | 4.63% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | 3.49% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | 2.18% |
| 2005 | 5.4% | 2.46% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | 3.94% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | 4.89% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | 4.04% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -4.45% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -0.92% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | 2.55% |
| 2012 | 6.7% | 1.69% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | 0.52% |
| 2014 | -0.6% | 0.19% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -0.33% |
| 2016 | -0.8% | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | 0.36% |
| 2018 | 0.8% | 0.47% |
| 2019 | -0.9% | 0.94% |
| 2020 | 3% | -0.33% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | 2.34% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | 7.83% |
| 2023 | 2.7% | 6.3% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | 2.11% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | - |
| 2026 | 2% | - |
Top exports between countries
|
Benin
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $111K |
| Raw agricultural goods | $98K |
| Animal & marine products | $2K |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $1K |
|
Ireland
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $2.85M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $1.7M |
| Animal & marine products | $1.12M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $775K |
| Machinery & equipment | $216K |
| Raw materials & minerals | $124K |
| Miscellaneous | $9K |
Balance of trade
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$1.61B
2023 |
$106B
2024 |
| Current account balance ranking |
135/190
2023 |
6/190
2024 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-8.18%
2023 |
+17.4%
2024 |
| Goods imports |
$4.65B
2023 |
$165B
2024 |
| Goods exports |
$4.05B
2023 |
$356B
2024 |
| Service imports |
$1.54B
2023 |
$467B
2024 |
| Service exports |
$461M
2023 |
$526B
2024 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
21.8%
2024 |
102.2%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
18.8%
2024 |
144%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 58.5 | 83.1 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 105/197 | 3/197 |
| Property rights | 44.8 | 94.1 |
| Government integrity | 42.4 | 84 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 49.1 | 95.5 |
| Tax burden | 69.4 | 77.6 |
| Government spending | 88.4 | 85.1 |
| Fiscal health | 51.9 | 95.8 |
| Business freedom | 53.7 | 88.1 |
| Labor freedom | 58.7 | 62.4 |
| Monetary freedom | 80.3 | 75 |
| Trade freedom | 63 | 79.6 |
| Investment freedom | 50 | 90 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 70 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Benin is 58.5, ranking 105/197, compared to 83.1 for Ireland, ranking 3/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
| 1995 | - | 68.5 |
| 1996 | 54.5 | 68.5 |
| 1997 | 61.3 | 72.6 |
| 1998 | 61.7 | 73.7 |
| 1999 | 60.6 | 74.6 |
| 2000 | 61.5 | 76.1 |
| 2001 | 60.1 | 81.2 |
| 2002 | 57.3 | 80.5 |
| 2003 | 54.9 | 80.9 |
| 2004 | 54.6 | 80.3 |
| 2005 | 52.3 | 80.8 |
| 2006 | 54 | 82.2 |
| 2007 | 55.1 | 82.6 |
| 2008 | 55.2 | 82.5 |
| 2009 | 55.4 | 82.2 |
| 2010 | 55.4 | 81.3 |
| 2011 | 56 | 78.7 |
| 2012 | 55.7 | 76.9 |
| 2013 | 57.6 | 75.7 |
| 2014 | 57.1 | 76.2 |
| 2015 | 58.8 | 76.6 |
| 2016 | 59.3 | 77.3 |
| 2017 | 59.2 | 76.7 |
| 2018 | 56.7 | 80.4 |
| 2019 | 55.3 | 80.5 |
| 2020 | 55.2 | 80.9 |
| 2021 | 59.6 | 81.4 |
| 2022 | 61 | 82 |
| 2023 | 59.8 | 82 |
| 2024 | 57.7 | 82.6 |
| 2025 | 58.5 | 83.1 |
More economic indicators
|
Benin
|
Ireland
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
48.9%
2024 |
60.6%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
17.4%
2024 |
33.6%
2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
24.2%
2024 |
1.02%
2024 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$20.6B
2024 |
$435B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$4,390
2024 |
$99,180
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold | n/a |
$12.7B
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking | n/a |
73/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$430M
2023 |
$62.3B
2024 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$543M
2024 |
$4.82B
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$60.3M
2024 |
$67.1B
2024 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
5.38%
2024 |
n/a |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
36.2%
2021 |
14%
2021 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
35.1%
2024 |
18.2%
2024 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.