Ibrahim Index: Benin scores 60.1 points and ranks 12th in Africa
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bénin Web TV
Illustrative image · Towfiqu barbhuiya · Pexels · Licence PexelsBenin ranks 12th out of 54 countries in the 2026 Ibrahim Index, with 60.1 points out of 100, and has gained 2.6 points since 2016. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation notes improvements in economic indicators, but an 18.6-point decline in participation and a 36.3-point fall in democratic elections between 2016 and 2025.
Benin ranks 12th out of 54 African countries in the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, with 60.1 points out of 100, according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Its score exceeds the African average of 50.1 points and the West African average of 52.9 points.
Between 2016 and 2025, Benin’s overall score rose by 2.6 points. The foundations of economic opportunity gained 12.3 points, while the business and labour environment gained 12.8 points; the country recorded the continent’s strongest improvements in these two areas. Infrastructure improved by 16.7 points and public administration by 14.6 points.
Political indicators moved in the opposite direction. Democratic participation fell by 18.6 points since 2016, including a 36.3-point decline in democratic elections. Anti-corruption mechanisms fell by 27.7 points, despite an improvement in the levels of corruption measured by the index. Participation also includes freedoms of association and assembly, political pluralism and the role of civil society.
Benin’s ranking forms part of the assessment of African governance over the 2016-2025 decade, presented in the Ibrahim Index. Other national results, including those for Cape Verde and São Tomé, were also published on 1 November.
