International tourism, number of arrivals in Benin
Benin: International tourism, number of arrivals was 337,000 in 2019. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, number of arrivals in Benin, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
The most recent figure for international tourism, number of arrivals in Benin is 337,000, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of up 4.7% on the previous year and down 67.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Benin peaked at 1.16 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 222,000, in 2011.
Benin ranks 145th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 580,000 | — |
| 1996 | 516,000 | -11.0% |
| 1997 | 541,000 | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 575,000 | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 941,000 | +63.7% |
| 2000 | 1.07 million | +13.5% |
| 2001 | 1.16 million | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 853,000 | -26.1% |
| 2003 | 850,000 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 845,000 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 960,000 | +13.6% |
| 2006 | 975,000 | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 1.01 million | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 1.03 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 222,000 | -78.4% |
| 2012 | 232,000 | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 252,000 | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 265,000 | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 279,000 | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 292,000 | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 307,000 | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 322,000 | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 337,000 | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 630,600 | 516,000 | 941,000 | 5 |
| 2000s | 971,444 | 845,000 | 1.16 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 278,667 | 222,000 | 337,000 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 142 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 351,000 compare
- 142 Montenegro 351,000 compare
- 144 Eswatini 345,300 compare
- 146 Guam 328,000 compare
- 147 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 323,300 compare
- 148 Bangladesh 323,000 compare
More private sector data for Benin
- Merchandise trade 36.4% (2025)
- Food imports 33.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 50.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.95 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 39.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 7.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 3.99 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 269.2 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -0.8946 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Benin?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Benin was 337,000 in 2019, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 million in 2001.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 222,000 in 2011.
- How does Benin rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Benin ranks 145th out of 201 countries with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, number of arrivals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.