The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

33.2%

      industry: 14.5%

      services: 52.3% (2007 est.)

      Labor force:

      3.662 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

      Unemployment rate:

      NA%

      Population below poverty line:

      37.4% (2007 est.)

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

      lowest 10%: 3.1%

      highest 10%: 29% (2003)

      Distribution of family income - Gini index:

      36.5 (2003) country comparison to the world: 82

      Investment (gross fixed):

      18.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 104

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

      1.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 2.2% (2009 est.)

      Central bank discount rate:

      4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 91 4.75% (31 December 2008)

      Commercial bank prime lending rate:

      NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

      NA% (31 December 2008 est.)

      Stock of narrow money:

      $1.551 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 125 $1.619 billion (31 December 2009 est)

      Stock of broad money:

      $2.424 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $2.517 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

      Stock of domestic credit:

      $1.222 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 $1.269 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

      Market value of publicly traded shares:

      $NA

      Agriculture - products:

      cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

      Industries:

      textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

      Industrial production growth rate:

      3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

      Electricity - production:

      124 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 185

      Electricity - consumption:

      597 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

      Electricity - exports:

      0 kWh (2008 est.)

      Electricity - imports:

      588 million kWh (2007 est.)

      Oil - production:

      0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

      Oil - consumption:

      23,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

      Oil - exports:

      8,770 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

      Oil - imports:

      28,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

      Oil - proved reserves:

      8 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

      Natural gas - production:

      0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

      Natural gas - consumption:

      0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

      Natural gas - exports:

      0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

      Natural gas - imports:

      0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

      Natural gas - proved reserves:

      1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97

      Current account balance:

      -$582 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 -$644 million (2009 est.)

      Exports:

      $1.125 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $994 million (2009 est.)

      Exports - commodities:

      cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

      Exports - partners:

      India 19.72%, China 13.18%, Niger 6.94%, Nigeria 6.56%, Indonesia 5.73%, Togo 5.63%, Namibia 4.17% (2009)

      Imports:

      $1.812 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 $1.703 billion (2009 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

      foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

      Imports - partners:

      China 35.62%, US 7.51%, France 7.38%, Thailand 6.71%, Malaysia 6.13%, Netherlands 4.83%, Belgium 4.02% (2009)

      Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

      $1.254 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $1.23 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

      Debt - external:

      $2.894 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 $986.2 million (31 December 2008 est.)

      Exchange rates:

      Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006)

      Communications ::Benin

      Telephones - main lines in use:

      127,100 (2009) country comparison to the world: 141

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

      5.033 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 94

      Telephone system:

      general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment

      domestic: fixed-line teledensity only about 2 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly

      international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

      Broadcast media:

      state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station with multiple channels giving it a wide broadcast reach; several privately-owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio, under ORTB control, includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately-owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2007)

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