Benin
Benin at a glance

Region
West Africa

Country
Benin

Country Head
President Thomas Boni Yayi

Capital
Porto-Novo

Population
9 million (UN 2007)

GDP
$12.1bn(2007)

GDP Per Capita
$1 500 (2007 CIA est.)

Main Language
French (official)

Description

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology.