Languages spoken in Benin
Africa · Capital: Porto-Novo · Population 13.2 million
The official language of Benin is French. An estimated 34% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 4.5 million people. After French, the most widely spoken are Fon at 25% and Yoruba at 6.7%. French belongs to the Indo-European language family. French is also spoken in three of its four neighbours: Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. In total, three languages are recorded in Benin, and their shares add up to 65.7% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Benin?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrenchIndo-European | 34% | Official | 4.5 million |
| Fon | 25% | Spoken | 3.3 million |
| YorubaNiger-Congo | 6.7% | Spoken | 886,066 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Benin?
The official language of Benin is French. French is spoken by an estimated 34% of the population, or roughly 4.5 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak French in Benin?
An estimated 34% of Benin's 13.2 million people speak French, which works out at roughly 4.5 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Benin
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Population
- 13.2 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 112,622 km²
- Currency
- XOF
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- BJ / BEN / 204
Which countries border Benin?
Benin shares a land border with four countries: Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. French, the most widely spoken language in Benin, is also spoken in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.