Current account balance in Benin
Benin: Current account balance was -8.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Benin, 1974–2023
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current account balance in Benin is -8.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.8% on the previous year and down 52.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Benin peaked at 0.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, -29.8%, in 1982.
Benin ranks 167th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -5.3% | — |
| 1975 | -7.9% | +49.4% |
| 1976 | -9.3% | +17.7% |
| 1977 | -7.6% | -18.6% |
| 1978 | -9.7% | +28.7% |
| 1979 | -4.4% | -55.1% |
| 1980 | -2.5% | -41.8% |
| 1981 | -7.2% | +184.5% |
| 1982 | -29.8% | +311.4% |
| 1983 | -12.3% | -58.6% |
| 1984 | -5.4% | -55.9% |
| 1985 | -3.7% | -31.4% |
| 1986 | -4.0% | +6.2% |
| 1987 | -2.2% | -44.5% |
| 1988 | -6.5% | +196.7% |
| 1989 | -0.9% | -86.3% |
| 1990 | -0.9% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | -10.9% | +1076.9% |
| 1992 | -4.3% | -60.6% |
| 1993 | -2.6% | -39.8% |
| 1994 | 0.7% | -125.6% |
| 1995 | -7.7% | -1265.5% |
| 1996 | -1.7% | -77.5% |
| 1997 | -6.8% | +291.3% |
| 1998 | -5.4% | -20.5% |
| 1999 | -4.2% | -21.6% |
| 2000 | -2.3% | -45.8% |
| 2001 | -2.0% | -10.9% |
| 2002 | -3.7% | +82.9% |
| 2003 | -6.2% | +65.9% |
| 2004 | -4.7% | -24.8% |
| 2005 | -3.4% | -26.2% |
| 2006 | -3.1% | -10.3% |
| 2007 | -6.5% | +112.0% |
| 2008 | -5.5% | -16.0% |
| 2009 | -6.7% | +21.7% |
| 2010 | -5.6% | -16.8% |
| 2011 | -4.8% | -13.2% |
| 2012 | -5.2% | +7.1% |
| 2013 | -5.4% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | -6.7% | +24.0% |
| 2015 | -6.0% | -10.6% |
| 2016 | -3.0% | -49.8% |
| 2017 | -4.2% | +39.5% |
| 2018 | -4.5% | +8.8% |
| 2019 | -4.0% | -12.1% |
| 2020 | -1.7% | -56.3% |
| 2021 | -4.2% | +137.8% |
| 2022 | -5.7% | +36.9% |
| 2023 | -8.2% | +43.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -7.3% | -9.7% | -4.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | -7.5% | -29.8% | -0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.4% | -10.9% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.4% | -6.7% | -2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -4.9% | -6.7% | -3.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.9% | -8.2% | -1.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More economy & growth data for Benin
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 6.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 81,602 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 15.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.175 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 290.27 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 10.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 101.86 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 168,916 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 9.82 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Benin?
- Current account balance in Benin was -8.2% in 2023, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 1994.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was -29.8% in 1982.
- How does Benin rank for current account balance?
- Benin ranks 167th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.