SELECTED BENINS INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION FEATURES: A FOCUSED ANALYSIS

FOR DEVELOPMENT POLICY-MAKING

Introduction
The Republic of Benin (Benin) is a West African country situated between Nigeria (East), Togo (SouthWest), Burkina-Faso (North-West), Niger River (North) and the Atlantic Ocean (South).
Migration and Development debate has become topical on public agenda in Benin since the 2000s.
Interest in how the Government can partner with Diaspora associations has followed, resulting in
Diasporas conferences and frameworks to facilitate their contribution to home development. But so
far, many obstacles have been hampering the process, such as lack of evidence to inform policy, and
poor institutional building.
Aiming at raising awareness among scholars and decision-makers, this paper suggests an overview of
some specific Benins international migration shapes and their effects on development challenges
and goals. It also stresses research gaps and highlights some policy orientations.
International migration statistics in Benin are very poor and based on differing conceptualizations
(IOM and GIP International 2011; Ba and Kouton 2006). The Institut National de la Statistique et de
lAnalyse Economique (INSAE) has leaded four general censuses (1979, 1992, 2002 and 2013) and a
survey on migration in urban area (2000)1.
The findings of the last census are not published yet, as final. Only a summary of the provisional
results is posted on the web portal of the statistical institution2, which does not provide any
information about international migration.
Beyond its over-ten-year age, the 2002 general census counted Benins return migrants as
immigrants, contrary to common authoritative definitions3 and methodologies. Even though that
source had next made a distinction between returnees and external immigrants, the subsequent
calculations and analyses are likely to be at variance with the ones of international organisations
such as IOM and UNDESA. Moreover, from that census no data are available on emigration4.
In that situation, both estimates and empirical data from various sources, especially international
existing databases and research papers, are used in a complementary or comparative way.
The information may seem outdated. However, international migration data are mostly based on
national censuses while these are costly and usually conducted ten-yearly.
With this consideration, the migration profile depicted here helps to get an idea of what is likely to
be, especially in a world experiencing more and more mobility.
1

INSAE (2002). Enqute sur les migrations en milieu urbain au Bnin, 2000. Rapport danalyse. Online:
http://www.insaebj.org/2012/jupiter/metho/Enqu%EAtes/ESAFEM/RAPORT%20d%27analyse%20compl%E8t.pdf; accessed April
14, 2013.
2
Rsultats provisoires RGPH4 2103: http://www.insae-bj.org/recensement-population.html (accessed May
27, 2014)
3
See for example: United Nations, DESA-Population Division and UNICEF (2012), op. cit.
4
IOM & GIP International (2011). Migration au Bnin. Profil national 2011, p. 47
Page 1 of 10

For this reason, relevant and effective policy-making, with reference to the analyses suggested here,
has to rely on more up-to-date information and thus shall include preliminary tailored feasibility
studies for in-depth and accurate planning. This document is meant to be an inspiring starting point
for a comprehensive national process of mainstreaming Migration into Development.

Benin at a glance: population and development

The table below summarizes the population dynamic and the broad ways national development is
shaped in the country.
Table 1: Benins population and development indicators
TOTAL POPULATION , 2013

10.323 million

Proportion males

49.84%

Proportion females

50.16%

Average annual rate of change (2010-2015)

Urban population

2.69%
46%

Crude net migration rate

-0.20

Total net migration

-10,000

Crude birth rate

40

Crude death rate

12

Life expectancy at birth (years)

59.3

Adult literacy rate (per cent aged 15 and above)

41.7

Combined gross enrolment ratio in education

(per cent) (in 2005)

56.7

GNI (US$ billions, 2009)

6.6

GNI per capita, Atlas method (US$, 2009)

750

GDP growth (avg. annual %, 200509)

4.1

GDP per capita (PPP in thousands of US dollars)

Human development index (HDI)

1,583
0.44

Source: UN DESA, Population Division and UNICEF (2014)5

Compared with the provisional available figures of the 2013 census in Benin, this estimate of the
total population (as per 2013) is fairly consistent: 9,983,884 vs. 10,323,000. As regards the
proportion of females, the empirical figure is 51.2% (versus 50.16% as estimate), indicating that from
both empirical and estimate data, one can roughly conclude that there are more females than males
in Benin as of 2013.
5

United Nations, DESA-Population Division and UNICEF (2014). Migration Profiles - Common Set of Indicators.
http://esa.un.org/MigGMGProfiles/indicators/files/Benin.pdf (asscessed May 27, 2014)
Page 2 of 10

Migration pattern and migrants characteristics

Figures from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division and
the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (2012), hereafter UNDESA, Population
Division and UNICEF (2012)6, show that Benins total population was 8.850 million in 2010, of which
50.69% female. According to that data source, the stocks of Beninese immigrants and emigrants,
with reference to 2010, are respectively 2.62% (vs. 2.27% as of 2013) and 6.45% of the total
population.
This source provides some update as of 20137. But due to limited detail in this update, all the
figures used to comment on migrant stocks are for 2010, unless otherwise indicated.
Immigration
Migration to Benin concerns women and men, even though there are more men than women
(45.51% vs. 44.05% for 2013). Gender issues should then not be neglected. Besides, immigrants in
Benin are mostly young-adult and young: 45.28% and 21.58% respectively. This could indicate that
there is ground for labour market investigation.
The majority of these 232,036 immigrants come from the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) sub-region, which makes roughly 83% of the total stock, the first three sources
being border countries: Niger (30.88%), Togo (19.61%) and Nigeria (18.18%). Those three countries
are followed by Cte dIvoire (5.60%), Ghana (4.16%), Burkina Faso (4.00%), Congo (0.78%), France
(0.73%), Mali (0.53%) and Chad (0.28%), to make the top ten.
These figures confirm the ones of World Bank (2011)8 regarding the top three source countries in
descending order. But contrary to data from World Bank, France did not appear in the top five.
Due to the poor knowledge of irregular migration, Benin is likely to host higher number of
immigrants. The graph below shows the top sources of Benin immigration.
Graph 1: Migration to Benin by origin: 2010

United Nations, DESA-Population Division and UNICEF (2012). Migration Profiles - Common Set of Indicators.
Online: http://esa.un.org/MigGMGProfiles/indicators/indicators.htm#africa ; accessed April 17, 2013
7
See footnote NO. 5
8
World Bank (2011). Migration and remittances factbook 2011. Available online:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1199807908806/Benin.pdf, accessed
April 18, 2013.
Page 3 of 10

Migration to Benin. Top source countries: 2010

Cte d'Ivoire

12 994

Other South

32 951

Nigeria

42 174

Togo

45 498

Niger

71 649
80 000 70 000 60 000 50 000 40 000 30 000 20 000 10 000

Source: UNDESA, Population Division (2012)

In absence of immigrants classification by profession from the above data source, a look at the 2002
general census in Benin (Todgnon 2011)9, allows to tell that the 120,699 immigrants in 2002 were
employers, independent workers, permanent and temporary salaried employees, cooperative
members, maids, apprentices and others. Independents were 40% of total migrant workers. The
permanent salaried employees were 2,912 or 2% of migrant workers, of which 33% females, 32.9%
Togolese, 15.8% Nigeriens, 12.2% Nigerians, 5.7% French and 3.3% Burkinabe. As for temporary
salaried workers, they were 3,871 or 3% of total immigrants: 43.3% Togolese, 24.8% Nigeriens, 9.5%
Nigerians, 5.4% Burkinabe and 1.2% French people.
More recent estimates from United Nations, DESA-Population Division and UNICEF (2014) show that
there is a total of 234,241 immigrants in Benin in 2013, mainly from Niger (72,330 or 30.88%), Togo
(45,930 or 19.61%), Nigeria (42,575 or 18.18%), Cte dIvoire (13,118 or 5.60%) and Ghana (9,747 or
4.16%). Compared with the 2010 figures, the trend is rather the same.
While UNDESA and UNICEF suggested Benins total net migration estimate of 50,000 for 2005-2010,
Benins government viewed both population growth and immigration as too high, with some
existing policy to lower the former whereas no policy/intervention to alter or tackle the latter, in
200910. In this regard one can assume that there is need for a comprehensive and relevant
immigration policy. But things have evolved: the net migration estimate is -10,000 for the period of
2010-2015, meaning that the country is shifting from immigration to emigration shape. What did
happen? What caused this change, when we know that there is still no immigration policy (or even
migration policy as a whole) in place? Has the outmigration flow increased, or is it increasing, so
significantly, since the immigration trend is maintained? Again, there is need for research to inform
policy and action. Such an investigation could target an in-depth profile of immigration focussing

Todgnon, T. (2011). Migrations au Bnin. Profil national 2011, IOM and GIP International, 2011. Online:
http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Profil_Migratoire_Benin.pdf; accessed April 2, 2013.
10
UN-DESA, Population Division (2010). World Population Policies 2009, United Nations, New York. Online:
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2009/Publication_complete.pdf; accessed June 5, 2013.
Page 4 of 10

labour market analysis to pinpoint the employment situation and the participation rate of
immigrants, the importance of immigrants in development sectors in Benin.
Emigration
In obvious contradiction to the myth according to which there are millions of Benins Diaspora
members11, the UNDESA, Population Division and UNICEF (2012) source reported a stock of 571,085
Beninese emigrants as of 2010. The top ten destination countries (as of 2010) are Nigeria, Ghana,
Cte dIvoire, Togo, Gabon, Niger, France, Burkina Faso, Congo, and Senegal. Even though this source
does not show disaggregation of emigrant stock by sex and age, it allows for other significant
distinctions. Thus, of these 571,085, Africa makes up 96.23%, Europe 3.47%, Northern America
0.28%, and 0.02% for the rest of the world. Of the stock of Beninese emigrants in Africa, 99.99% live
in Sub-Saharan Africa, of which 92.53% in West Africa. About the top ten destination countries,
ECOWAS makes up seven countries (with 88.39%), amongst which four border countries (Nigeria,
Togo, Niger and Burkina Faso). The graph below shows the distribution of these top ten destinations.
Graph 2: Benin migrants top destinations
Top ten destination countries of Benin migrants: 2010
Senegal

2 784

Congo

4 814

Burkina Faso

6 451

France

13 008

Niger

23 657

Gabon

35 775

Togo

47 618

Cte d'Ivoire

59 817

Ghana

157 567

Nigeria

206 913
0

50 000

100 000

150 000

200 000

250 000

Source: UNDESA, Population Division (2012)

The 19,822 (3.47% of total emigrants) Beninese in Europe are hosted by France (13,008), Italy
(2,629), Germany (2,136), Belgium (459) and Switzerland (409). The former colonial ties with their
11

Ndiaye Ndioro. (2007). Speech to the Symposium international des Bninois de lextrieur. Available
online: http://www.iom.int/cms/fr/sites/iom/home/news-and-views/speeches/speech-listing/symposiuminternational-du-haut-conseil.html (accessed June 2, 2013); Devillard, A. and Todgnon, T. (2011), ibid. p. :
more than 4 million Benins emigrants; Igu, J. O. (pp. 5-6: 2.5 million Benins emigrants as of 2006), misciting pp. 318-319 of OECD (2012), Connecting with Emigrants: A Global Profile of Diasporas, OECD Publishing.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264177949-en. The latter reference is seemingly a wrong citation of the OECD
source since this did not mention the figure of 2.5 million on its pages 318-319.
Page 5 of 10

permanent linguistic links between Benin and France could be an explanation of the number of
migrants from Benin in France. As regards Northern Americas share 1,598 (0.28% of total), it is
distributed between Canada (968) and the United States of America (630).
The 2013 estimate of the Benins stock of emigrants (United Nations, DESA-Population Division and
UNICEF, 2014) is mainly shared by Nigeria (226,349), Cte dIvoire (60,797), Togo (54,857), Gabon
(49,730) and France (20,075). Contrary to the 2010 estimate, France appears on the top-fives list.
However, this does not change the trend fundamentally.
Specific outmigration features and rooms for development policy-making
Skilled migration
The emigration rate of highly educated was 7.8% in 2005/06 (OECD 2012)12. According to Clemens
and Pettersson (2006)13, 36% of total physicians born in Benin (both domestic and abroad) were
living in the nine most important destination countries, all but one non-OECD country (South
Africa), circa 2000.
Contrary to a widespread belief and deep-rooted political rhetoric, stating in various ways that
there are more medical doctors in France/in the le-de-France region than in Benin14, Beninese
physicians practise more in France than in Benin15 or two-third of Benins physicians practise in
Paris16, evidence from this source shows that they were 405 domestic (in Benin), 224 in those nine
countries, of which 206 in France and 13 in Belgium. In the same run, OECD (2007)17 reported that,
circa 2000, 40.9% of Benins physicians (or 215 doctors) practise in OECD countries (not only in
France, still less in the le-de-France region!), as already pointed out by Le Bras18.
A swift comparison between figures from these two sources (224 physicians in eight OECD countries
versus 215 in all OECD countries, both circa 2000), is obviously amazing and quite confusing. Hence,
why is such a negative variation and what story is it likely to tell? It seems to illustrate that migration
data availability and comparability are problematic. It also confirms that there is really need for
12

OECD (2012). Connecting with Emigrants: A Global Profile of Diasporas, OECD Publishing. Online:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264177949-en; accessed May 19, 2013.
13
Clemens, M. A. and Pettersson, G. (2006). A New Database of Health Professional Emigration from Africa,
Center for Global Development, Working Paper Number 95 August 2006, p. 12. Online:
http://www.queensu.ca/samp/migrationresources/Documents/DB_HealthProfessional_Emigration.pdf;
accessed May 23, 2013.
14
Edon, C. (2011). Opinion : La vrit sur la contribution de la diaspora au dveloppement du Bnin :
http://www.miwablo.com/news/2011/12/09/opinion-la-verite-sur-la-contribution-de-la-diaspora-audeveloppement-du-benin/; Habib Ouane, quoted by Losson, C. (2007). "Il y a plus de mdecins bninois en lede-France quau Bnin", in Libration : http://www.liberation.fr/economie/2007/07/20/il-y-a-plus-demedecins-beninois-en-ile-de-france-qu-au-benin_98611 (accessed May 19, 2013)
15
Blanchet, K. and Keit, R. (2006). Tandis que les pays du Nord organisent la fuite des cerveaux, lAfrique tente
de retenir ses mdecins" in Le Monde diplomatique : http://www.mondediplomatique.fr/2006/12/BLANCHET/14226 (accessed May 19, 2013)
16
Claude Guant, cited by Le Bras, H. (2011). Claude Guant et les mdecins du Bnin" (Blog) :
http://www.books.fr/blog/claude-guant-et-les-mdecins-du-bnin/ (accessed May 19, 2013)
17
OECD (2007). Immigrant Health Workers in OECD Countries in the Broader Context of Highly Skilled
Migration, in OECD, International Migration Outlook 2007: SOPEMI 2007 Edition, OECD Publishing., p. 212.
Online: http://www.oecd.org/els/mig/41515701.pdf (accessed May 20, 2013)
18
Le Bras, ibid.
Page 6 of 10

specific field researches before taking action and, beyond, recalls the necessity of collaborative work
for migration data improvement.
Notwithstanding, no more recent publicly available data allow to say that there are more Benins
medical doctors practising in France than in Benin itself. Therefore and awaiting new challenging
evidence, the assertion There are more Beninese medical doctors in France than in Benin is just a
false common belief, a myth.
Nonetheless, what we learn from those figures is that most of the Benins migrant physicians work
in France (all being equal as regards the age of the statistics). In addition, these statistics indicate that
skilled migration from Benin is OECD-oriented, despite the countrys South-South broad migration
picture.
Even though this emigration rate of medical doctors is not significant enough to support
impassionate debates on brain drain19, the situation could be analysed policy wise, when evidence
shows that in the specific context of Benin there is roughly one medical doctor for 10,000 people as
of 201120. Yet, the challenge is to what extent Diaspora physicians skills can match home country
healthcare needs and be capitalised by the local relatively poor conditions. While waiting for a
longer-term policy for adequate training to meet local needs, a careful selection of relevant medical
doctors from emigrant communities can be of great interest to support the high demand of
healthcare, as well as the training of young local physicians (transfer of skills), in a brain circulation
approach.
Besides and in a broader way, OECD (2012) reported that 12,300 people born in Benin and aged 1564 years were employed in OECD countries in 2009, of which 42% women and 50% are highly
educated. This confirms that OECD countries attract the highly-skilled people from Benin.
Regarding students, they were 2,840 in OECD countries in 2009 (OECD 2012), hosted by France
(71%), USA (11%), Canada (8%), Germany (4%) and Italy (1%).
(? Migrants) remittances
Recent figures from a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD
2012)21 show that remittances to Benin represent 3.78% of GDP in 2010. This report identified three
main remittance corridors: Nigeria-Benin (US$ 87.4 million), France-Benin (US$ 28.4 million) and
Togo-Benin (US$ 24.0 million), with a cumulative importance of 59% of the total (in 2010). The
country has an average annual growth rate in remittances (2002-2011) of around 22% (which is
above the Least Developed Countries median of 15%). Over 20082010, remittances surpassed
Foreign Direct Investment in Benin. More than 80% of those remittance flows come from the other
Least Developed and Developing countries (UNCTAD, 2011)22. On the whole, there is some growing
19

Even OECD (2012), op cit, p. 314, qualifies it as relatively low.

Bnin, Ministre de la Sant (2012). Annuaire des statistiques sanitaires 2011 . Online:
http://www.beninsante.bj/documents/DPP/Annuaire_2011_MS.pdf; accessed May 24, 2013.
21
UNCTAD (2012). The least developed countries report 2012: Harnessing remittances and Diaspora
Knowledge to Build Productive Capacities, United Nations Publication, 2012. Online:
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ldc2012_en.pdf; accessed April 17, 2013.
22
UNCTAD (2011). The Least Developed Countries Report 2011: The Potential Role of South-South
Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Development, United Nations Publication, 2011. Online:
http://unctad.org/en/Docs/ldc2011_en.pdf; accessed May 20, 2013.
20

Page 7 of 10

value of remittances in Benin, as an external financing source. In a context of low-income economy,

such financial flows could play a role in development interventions.

On the whole, combined Benins general cross-border movements appear to be highly intra-regional,
playing within the ECOWAS space. The geographical proximity23 and the socio-cultural and economic
ties (freedom of movement) are likely of great importance. It can be inferred that the majority of
these emigrants cannot either afford to go beyond the continent, or meet the conditions/restrictions
of entry and stay in place out of the continent. This confirms that migration is a self-selective process.
Such a migration characteristic needs to be investigated so as to emphasize its potential and
challenges, in view of maximizing [its] development impact..., [because being closer to their home
country,] these migrants may return more often than overseas emigrants. This can enhance the
transfer of skills, know-how and financial assets enabling investments in better housing, education
and health care as well as the accumulation of savings, among others.24
Therefore, research in this specific migration field will shed light on the mixed workforce in place and
the needs of the local labour market, and lay the fundamentals for policies/schemes purposed to
enhancing orderly labour migration between Benin and its border countries. Such schemes will
facilitate co-operation for human capital building and better protection of migrant workers rights.
Despite this prominent south-south migration profile, the highly-skilled Benins migrants move to
OECD countries. Thus, one could say that this subcategory is better-suited to meet the needs of the
labour market in developed countries.

Table 2: Summary country profile as aggregates

TOTAL POPULATION , 2010

8.850 million

IMMIGRATION, 201025

Stock of immigrants

232,036

Stock of immigrants as percentage of

population

2.62%

Top source countries

Niger, Togo, Nigeria, Other South, Cte

dIvoire
45.51%

Females as percentage of immigrants

EMIGRATION, 201026

Stock of emigrants

571,085

23

Melde, S. (2010). Overview on South-South Migration and Development. Trends and Research Needs in the
ECOWAS Region, ACP Observatory on Migration, October 2010. Online: http://www.acpmigrationobs.org/sites/default/files/ECOWAS%20Fin.pdf; accessed April 16, 2013.
24
Ibid.
25
UNDESA, Population Division, op. cit. This note includes all the following rows except irregular immigrants in
2009
26
UNDESA, Population Division, op. cit.
Page 8 of 10

Stock of emigrants as percentage of population

6.45%

Top destination countries

Nigeria, Ghana, Cte dIvoire, Togo, Gabon,

Niger, France, Burkina Faso, Congo, Senegal
27

SKILLED EMIGRATION, 2000

Emigration rate of tertiary-educated population

11.3%

Emigration of physicians

(a) 20 or 5.3% of physicians trained in the

country (Source: Bhargava, Docquier, and
Moullan 2010); (b) 224 or 35.6% of physicians
born in the country (Source: Clemens and
Pettersson 2006)

Emigration of nurses

187 or 12.5% of nurses born in the country

Total net migration ('000)28

50

Net migration rate

REMITTANCES
Remittance inflows 2010 (millions of US dollars)

248

Remittance outflows 2010 (millions of US dollars)

88

Remittances as a percentage of GDP in 2010

3.7%29
Nigeria-Benin (US$ 87.4), France-Benin (US$
28.4) and Togo-Benin (US$ 24.0)

Three main Benin remittances corridors in 2010

(with a cumulative importance of 59%)30

Sources: UN DESA, Population Division (2012)- World Bank (2011 & 2012); UNCTAD (2012)

Migration effects on development challenges and goals

The migration spiral is complex and its impacts on development at micro, meso and macro levels
differ according to the context of the migration itself and the people who move.
Benins international migration has driven internal migration: cross-border movements of skilled,
professionals and others left gaps in urban areas, which rural exodus tends to fill. The outmigration
of skilled people left the population with downscaling healthcare services and the tertiary education
with lack of professors, then loss of human resources to enhance development capacities.
Migration to, from and through Benin has also generated long waves of trafficking in persons, from
the 2000s till recent years. The tertiary students abroad who have not returned constitute a forgone
investment for the country.
27

World Bank (2011). Migration and remittances factbook 2011, online:

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1199807908806/Benin.pdf
28
UNDESA, Population Division, op. cit. The same reference applies to the following rows except the very last.
29
3.78 % according to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD), The least
developed countries report 2012: harnessing remittances and diaspora knowledge to build productive
capacities, p. 56. Available online: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ldc2012overview_en.pdf,
accessed on April 17, 2013.
30
United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD), The least developed countries report
2012: harnessing remittances and diaspora knowledge to build productive capacities, p. 56. Available online:
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ldc2012overview_en.pdf, accessed on April 17, 2013.
Page 9 of 10

Conversely, some Benin return migrants and many others who are going through circularity bring
their expertise and innovative visions gained abroad. Even those who are permanently residing
abroad as Diaspora groups are sending remittances back home. This implies increase in purchasing
power of households that receive remittances. Diaspora members also invest in local projects
(schools, health centres, water-supply systems, etc.), and thereby, contribute to national social
development. Likewise, migrants remittances constitute a financial capital through banking system,
which improve the balance of payment and positively affect the national credit availability.
Conclusion
From the discussed migration profile of Benin, it comes out that integrating migration into
development can be focussed at least on skilled migration (in a brain circularity approach) with
Diasporas in OECD countries, labour mobility with border countries, and on remittances for social
and financial development, as well as for Diasporas/migrants savings and investment models. Such
possible migration policy pillars can fit into the Benins Growth Strategy for Poverty Reduction Paper,
2011-201531.
However, for those potentials to actually impact national development highly depends on the
migrants themselves (will and decision), their ability to fit in the home country environment (which
has become quite new for them) in case of return or circularity, the relevance of the expertise they
acquired abroad for the national development model (matter of development gap), the political and
socio-economic climate, and mostly the perception that the home community has of them.
Still yet, there are already many ways in which Benin migrants contribute to development, notably in
collaboration with the National Agency for Migration and Beninese Abroad. Therefore, there is hope
that the enabling environment will follow progressively if public authorities demonstrate sustainable
political will and endorsement.

31

Rpublique du Bnin (2011). Stratgie de croissance pour la rduction de la pauvret (SCRP 2011-2015),
IMF, September 2011. Online: http://www.imf.org/external/french/pubs/ft/scr/2011/cr11307f.pdf; accessed
April 18, 2013.
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