Travel & technology
Electric power
- Plug shape
- Voltage
- 220V, 50Hz
Phone dialing
- Code to call Benin
- +229
What every visitor should know about Benin:
- Money
- The currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF). 100 XOF is worth about US$0.22, or €0.15.
- Crime
- CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 2 out of 5 (Use caution)
Areas of concern:
- Armed robbery is frequent
- Carjacking
- Banditry on rural roads
- Capital
- Porto-Novo (official capital)
- Tap water
- Not recommended. Water is usually drinkable in large cities, but quality is uneven.
Benin facts and figures:
People
- Population
- 8,791,832
- Language
- French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
- Ethnicity
- Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9%
Economy
- GDP
- US$1,500 (per capita)
- Income equality
- High