Benin
Background Information
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
World Bank income group
Lower middle income
Percent of population aged 10-24
31% (UNFPA, 2023)
Total primary school age population (both sexes)
2,120,951 (UIS, 2022)
Total secondary school age population (both sexes)
2,048,045 (UIS, 2022)
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18 (% of women aged 20-24)
31%
Source: UNSDG , 2018
Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women ages 15-19)
108
Source: UN Human Development Reports , 2016
Percentage of women who ever experienced physical violence since age 15 (% of women 15-49)
27%
Source: DHS , 2018
Percentage of married women employed in the last 12 months (% of married or in-union women 15-49)
84%
Source: DHS , 2018
Education Snapshot Back to Top
Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks (Years)
6
Source: UIS , 2022
Percentage of upper secondary schools providing life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the formal curriculum or as part of extra-curricular activities
No data available
Proportion of schools with access to single-sex basic sanitation facilities Percentage of schools
-
Lower secondary 78%
(2022)
-
Upper secondary 83%
(2022)
Source: UIS
Women as a percentage of teachers in tertiary education Women as a percentage
Source: UIS , 2018
Men as a percentage of teachers in pre-primary education Men as a percentage
Source: UIS , 2022
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure % GDP spent on education
Source: UIS , 2023
Gender parity index for achievement in mathematics, by education level (ratio)
Source: Varied , 2014
Gender parity index for achievement in reading, by education level (ratio)
Source: Varied , 2014
Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading
-
Female 47%
-
Male 44%
Female: UIS, 2014
Male: UIS, 2019
Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics
-
Female 20%
-
Male 19%
Female: UIS, 2019
Male: UIS, 2019
Experiencing bullying in the last 12 months in lower secondary education
-
Female 52%
-
Male 47%
Female: UNESCO, 2016
Male: UNESCO, 2016
Youth not in education, employment or training
-
Female 41%
-
Male 29%
Female: ILO, 2018
Male: ILO, 2018
Completion rate
Primary school age
-
Female 44%
-
Male 51%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Lower secondary school age
-
Female 13%
-
Male 25%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Upper secondary school age
-
Female 5%
-
Male 12%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Out-of-school rate
Primary school
-
Female 35%
-
Male 28%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Lower secondary school
-
Female 47%
-
Male 36%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Upper secondary school
-
Female 66%
-
Male 50%
Female: UIS, 2018
Male: UIS, 2018
Legal Frameworks Back to Top
Presence of legislation on child protection, to prevent corporal punishment in schools
5
Protection from corporal punishment and all violence, including psychological, physical and sexual violence, in educational institutions
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Presence of legislation protecting the right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender
2
Only enshrines the right to education or provides for a limited protection of this right
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Presence of legislation to protect and facilitate education of pregnant adolescent girls
2
No explicit protection of the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls
Source: HerAtlas , 2019
Existence of processes to support coordinated action on gender equality in and through education by ministries, civil society, youth organizations and other actors
Data coming soon!
Existence of systematic processes to review and update curricula and learning resources, with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality
Data coming soon!
Training on gender-responsive pedagogies is embedded in teacher training programmes
Data coming soon!
Programs Back to Top
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Benin Second Fiscal Reform and Growth PBG
Project/Program
Citizenship actions by and for all children through education in Senegal
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Comprehensive scholarship programme
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Education Out Loud (EOL)
Advocacy Campaign/Project
Enough
Network/Convening/Conference
Her Choice
Project/Program
Mapping, Targeting, and Training Benin’s Future Leaders
Project/Program
Mothers' Associations (Associations des Meres d'Eleves or AMEs)
Network/Convening/Conference
Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD)
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Scholarships For African students.
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Scholarships For African students.
Project/Program
Support Her Empowerment & Girls' Resilience, Enterprise, and Technology Initiative (SHE's GREAT!)
Research Project/Report/Study
The Effect of COVID-19 on Education in Africa and its Implications for the Use of Technology: A Survey of the Experiences and Opinions of Educators and Technology Specialists
Government Programs Back to Top
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Benin Global Partnership for Education Project
Project/Program
Benin Secondary Education Support Project (PAESB)
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Early Years Nutrition and Child Development Project
Project/Program
Benin Faaba-COVID
Project/Program
UNICEF Benin Country Report 2019
Project/Program
Second Unlocking Human and Productive Potential DPF series
Project/Program
COVID-19 Response Project in the Education Sector in Benin
Funding Initiative/Portfolio
Fee exemption reform
Project/Program
ProJeunes (Preventing Child, Early, and Forced Marriage in Benin)
Project/Program
Benin Youth Employment Project
Research Project/Report/Study
The Impact of Supplementary Math Courses for Girls in Benin
Transforming Education Summit National Statement of Commitment Back to Top
