Agricultural production in Benin
According to FAOSTAT, Benin produced 2.9 million t of cereals, 741,032 t of vegetables, 673,021 t of fruit, 128,504 t of meat and 188,438 t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were cassava (4.4 million t), yams (3.4 million t) and maize (2.1 million t).
- Products recorded
- 73
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 9
- products
- Year
- 2024
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in soybeans (+554%), followed by sorghum (+179%).
Livestock numbers: 2.8 million cattle, 1.1 million pigs, 2.6 million sheep and 3.8 million goats.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All roots and tubers | 7,919,570 | 27 | 0.84% | +7.7% |
| All cereals | 2,905,685 | 81 | 0.09% | +70% |
| All vegetables | 741,032 | 88 | 0.06% | +19% |
| All fruit | 673,021 | 98 | 0.07% | +35% |
| All tree nuts | 214,529 | 17 | 1.17% | +5.7% |
| All pulses | 200,406 | 51 | 0.21% | +82% |
| All milk | 188,438 | 122 | 0.02% | +39% |
| All meat | 128,504 | 121 | 0.03% | +76% |
| All sugar crops | 80,553 | 110 | 0% | +7.4% |
| All eggs | 22,822 | 100 | 0.02% | +68% |
| All citrus fruit | 15,403 | 94 | 0.01% | +6.8% |
All products by volume, 2024
| Product | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassava | 4,448,391 | 18 | 1.3% | +9.4% |
| Yams | 3,353,473 | 4 | 3.63% | +4.1% |
| Maize | 2,094,824 | 44 | 0.17% | +55% |
| Oil palm fruit | 755,057 | 19 | 0.18% | +29% |
| Soybeans | 652,454 | 15 | 0.16% | +554% |
| Seed cotton | 635,976 | 12 | 0.87% | +67% |
| Rice (paddy) | 500,605 | 50 | 0.06% | +114% |
| Pineapples | 483,539 | 17 | 1.65% | +53% |
| Cotton seed | 340,000 | 13 | 0.83% | +78% |
| Tomatoes | 287,636 | 58 | 0.15% | −28% |
| Sorghum | 279,269 | 24 | 0.43% | +179% |
| Groundnuts (peanuts) | 221,119 | 28 | 0.38% | +53% |
| Cotton lint | 219,130 | 13 | 0.89% | +105% |
| Cashew nuts, in shell | 212,624 | 6 | 5.01% | +5.4% |
| Cow peas, dry | 184,466 | 9 | 1.83% | +93% |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 184,343 | 61 | 0.07% | +225% |
| Cow milk | 149,567 | 123 | 0.02% | +36% |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 135,283 | 35 | 0.34% | +2.1% |
| Beer | 131,000 | 90 | 0.07% | +41% |
| Chillies and peppers, green | 119,000 | 35 | 0.27% | +57% |
| Sweet potatoes | 112,413 | 41 | 0.12% | +72% |
| Palm oil | 100,000 | 23 | 0.13% | +79% |
| Okra | 89,883 | 12 | 0.68% | +84% |
| Shea nuts | 86,292 | 4 | 10.39% | +254% |
| Sugar cane | 80,553 | 78 | 0% | +7.4% |
| Onions, dry | 60,170 | 83 | 0.06% | +41% |
| Beef (cattle meat) | 47,794 | 95 | 0.07% | +27% |
| Goat milk | 38,871 | 48 | 0.19% | +52% |
| Groundnut oil | 32,000 | 20 | 0.5% | +204% |
| Millet | 30,400 | 34 | 0.1% | +28% |
| Palm kernels | 30,000 | 22 | 0.16% | −32% |
| Cottonseed oil | 27,000 | 13 | 0.65% | +164% |
| Soya bean oil | 23,600 | 53 | 0.04% | +113% |
| Hen eggs | 22,822 | 99 | 0.02% | +68% |
| Bananas | 20,973 | 79 | 0.02% | +7.0% |
| Coconuts, in shell | 16,995 | 49 | 0.03% | +12% |
| Mangoes and guavas | 16,377 | 57 | 0.03% | +8.9% |
| Oranges | 15,403 | 70 | 0.02% | +6.8% |
| Goat meat | 15,395 | 49 | 0.2% | +178% |
| Rabbit meat | 14,850 | 7 | 1.75% | — |
| Chicken meat | 14,487 | 131 | 0.01% | +13% |
| Sheep meat | 13,653 | 69 | 0.12% | +336% |
| Pork (pig meat) | 13,248 | 95 | 0.01% | +129% |
| Pigeon peas, dry | 12,697 | 8 | 0.27% | +1.0% |
| Oil of palm kernel | 12,600 | 21 | 0.15% | +75% |
| Raw sugar | 10,000 | 106 | 0.01% | +11% |
| Sesame seed | 10,000 | 38 | 0.15% | 0.0% |
| Edible offal of cattle, fresh, chilled or frozen | 9,559 | 74 | 0.1% | +27% |
| Game meat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 9,077 | 26 | 0.44% | +12% |
| Raw hides and skins of cattle | 7,838 | 76 | 0.09% | +27% |
| Taro | 4,887 | 32 | 0.03% | +213% |
| Bambara beans, dry | 3,243 | 8 | 1.36% | +76% |
| Edible offal of goat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 3,079 | 43 | 0.21% | +178% |
| Molasses | 2,857 | 108 | 0% | +168% |
| Raw hides and skins of goats or kids | 2,771 | 40 | 0.18% | +178% |
| Edible offal of sheep, fresh, chilled or frozen | 2,731 | 58 | 0.14% | +336% |
| Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs | 2,458 | 59 | 0.11% | +337% |
| Other nuts | 1,905 | 44 | 0.17% | +78% |
| Cattle fat, unrendered | 1,529 | 78 | 0.04% | +27% |
| Dates | 1,446 | 29 | 0.01% | +8.2% |
| Coconut oil | 1,209 | 38 | 0.04% | −19% |
| Fat of pigs | 1,136 | 64 | 0.01% | +130% |
| Edible offal of pigs, fresh, chilled or frozen | 946 | 70 | 0.01% | +129% |
| Castor oil seeds | 642 | 22 | 0.04% | −0.3% |
| Kola nuts | 619 | 6 | 0.2% | +2.7% |
| Fonio | 586 | 10 | 0.09% | −64% |
| Goat fat, unrendered | 462 | 47 | 0.15% | +178% |
| Sheep fat, unrendered | 410 | 65 | 0.06% | +336% |
| Potatoes | 406 | 148 | 0% | +137% |
| Pepper (black, white) | 183 | 38 | 0.02% | +8.3% |
| Other oil seeds, n.e.c. | 170 | 61 | 0.01% | −16% |
| Coffee, green | 55 | 68 | 0% | −3.5% |
| Tobacco, unmanufactured | 3 | 117 | 0% | −40% |
Live animals, 2024
Benin among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of Benin, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
Benin had 14.5 million inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassava | 308 | 41.9 | 7.3× |
| Yams | 232 | 11.3 | 20.5× |
| Maize | 145 | 149 | 1.0× |
| Oil palm fruit | 52.2 | 51.3 | 1.0× |
| Soybeans | 45.1 | 48.7 | 0.9× |
| Seed cotton | 44.0 | 8.92 | 4.9× |
| Rice (paddy) | 34.6 | 100 | 0.3× |
| Pineapples | 33.4 | 3.60 | 9.3× |
| Cotton seed | 23.5 | 5.03 | 4.7× |
| Tomatoes | 19.9 | 23.1 | 0.9× |
| Sorghum | 19.3 | 7.87 | 2.5× |
| Groundnuts (peanuts) | 15.3 | 7.05 | 2.2× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
Benin reported exports of 37 and imports of 103 of the products covered here; it was the world’s largest exporter of karite nuts (sheanuts).
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton lint, ginned | 259,467 | USD 501 m | 1.93 | 5 of 105 |
| Karite nuts (sheanuts) | 139,308 | USD 77.0 m | 0.55 | 1 of 7 |
| Groundnuts, excluding shelled | 140,299 | USD 48.4 m | 0.34 | 2 of 95 |
| Other oil seeds, n.e.c. | 48,196 | USD 24.3 m | 0.50 | 3 of 115 |
| Soya bean oil | 25,460 | USD 24.0 m | 0.94 | 30 of 110 |
| Cotton seed | 103,451 | USD 20.6 m | 0.20 | 4 of 53 |
| Palm oil | 8,327 | USD 5.4 m | 0.65 | 44 of 118 |
| Cashew nuts, in shell | 4,673 | USD 3.4 m | 0.72 | 16 of 54 |
| Butter of cow milk | 1,752 | USD 2.4 m | 1.40 | 35 of 113 |
| Beans, dry | 9,029 | USD 1.9 m | 0.21 | 39 of 139 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 163,502 | USD 47.5 m | 0.29 | 96 of 176 |
| Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled | 60,660 | USD 39.4 m | 0.65 | 53 of 189 |
| Meat of turkeys, fresh or chilled | 29,405 | USD 26.0 m | 0.89 | 4 of 162 |
| Palm oil | 5,084 | USD 5.5 m | 1.08 | 121 of 191 |
| Beer of barley, malted | 6,432 | USD 4.9 m | 0.76 | 108 of 192 |
| Cotton lint, ginned | 2,548 | USD 4.6 m | 1.80 | 40 of 148 |
| Maize (corn) | 4,074 | USD 3.3 m | 0.82 | 150 of 190 |
| Wine | 2,592 | USD 3.1 m | 1.18 | 111 of 192 |
| Whole milk, evaporated | 1,431 | USD 2.0 m | 1.40 | 57 of 160 |
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 338 | USD 1.9 m | 5.58 | 146 of 192 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in Benin?
By volume, the largest products of Benin in 2024 were cassava (4.4 million t), yams (3.4 million t), maize (2.1 million t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is Benin the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 4th, for yams.
How much cassava does Benin produce per person?
About 308 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 41.9 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does Benin export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were cotton lint, ginned (USD 501 m), karite nuts (sheanuts) (USD 77.0 m), groundnuts, excluding shelled (USD 48.4 m), according to FAOSTAT.
What does Benin import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were wheat (USD 47.5 m), meat of chickens, fresh or chilled (USD 39.4 m), meat of turkeys, fresh or chilled (USD 26.0 m).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.