🇧🇯 Benin National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Benin government debt. The national debt currently stands at approximately $15.7 billion, growing at $42 per second based on IMF projections. Debt-to-GDP: 59%. Per-citizen share: $1,032.
Among the 194 governments tracked here, Benin ranks 82nd by debt-to-GDP, 113th by total debt and 154th by debt per person.
Benin's Debt Trajectory (2015–2025)
Benin's ratio has declined from its high for the period of 61% (2023) to roughly 59% at end-2025. Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026, general government gross debt.
Benin Net Debt and Interest
The IMF publishes no net debt figure for Benin, so only the gross figure can be shown. The IMF's figures put Benin's net interest bill at about 2.0% of GDP in 2025, about $492 million, or 13% of government revenue. That is 52nd of the 177 governments ranked by interest as a share of revenue.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026, general government, 2025, mostly IMF estimates. Net debt leaves out equity holdings, and what counts as an asset varies by country. Net interest is the primary balance minus the overall balance. A government in default or arrears can show a low figure that understates what it owes. Data · method.
About Benin's National Debt
Benin's debt has nearly doubled relative to GDP since 2015, from about 31% to about 59% on IMF figures. Part of the rise is a revision: loans previously assigned to public and semi-public enterprises were reclassified as central government debt. Benin has had an IMF-supported programme since July 2022, and the IMF still rates its risk of debt distress as moderate, citing its stronger capacity to carry debt.
Benin's debt-to-GDP ratio of 59% is moderate: higher than 57% of the 194 governments tracked here. No ratio is safe or dangerous on its own — whether a debt is sustainable depends on the interest rate on it, how fast the economy grows, the currency it is owed in and who holds it. By total government debt, Benin ranks 113th of the 194 governments tracked here.
At the current borrowing rate of $42 per second, Benin adds about $4 million to its government debt every day — roughly $1.3 billion per year. Each of Benin's 15 million residents carries an individual share of approximately $1,032. That is below the world average of roughly $14,700 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock by linear extrapolation from each country's baseline figure, named in the source line on this page (for most countries, the IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026). Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
Benin National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Benin's national debt right now?
Benin's national debt is approximately $15.7 billion as of November 8, 2026, growing at $42 per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 59% and each citizen's share is about $1,032.
How fast is Benin's debt growing?
Benin's government debt is growing at approximately $42 per second — about $4 million per day — derived from the IMF's projections for 2026.
What is Benin's debt per capita?
Each of Benin's 15 million residents carries a notional share of approximately $1,032 of the national debt.
What is Benin's debt-to-GDP ratio?
Benin's debt-to-GDP ratio is 59%. That is higher than 57% of the 194 governments tracked here.
How much interest does Benin pay on its debt?
The IMF's figures put Benin's net interest bill at about 2.0% of GDP in 2025, about $492 million, or 13% of government revenue.
Why is Benin's government debt at this level?
Benin's debt has nearly doubled relative to GDP since 2015, from about 31% to about 59% on IMF figures. Part of the rise is a revision: loans previously assigned to public and semi-public enterprises were reclassified as central government debt. Benin has had an IMF-supported programme since July 2022, and the IMF still rates its risk of debt distress as moderate, citing its stronger capacity to carry debt.
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Further reading
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Data & Citation
Source: IMF WEO October 2026 (GGXWDG, end-2025 stock) · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 14,595,986,664 + 42 × seconds_since(2026-01-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=bj (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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