Benin Industry Employment

Benin’s share of the labour force employed in industry stood at 18.32 percent in 2025, placing the country 81st globally and slightly above Ghana’s 18.26 percent and Rwanda’s 18.41 percent. The indicator has trended downward since the all‑time peak of 20.87 percent recorded in 1991, the year the series began, and reached its lowest point of 15.69 percent in 2013 before a modest recovery. Over the 35‑year coverage period, the decline reflects structural shifts toward services and agriculture, limited domestic manufacturing capacity, and periodic macro‑economic shocks that constrained industrial investment. Relative to peers, Benin’s industrial employment remains marginally higher than Iceland’s 18.24 percent and Costa Rica’s 18.48 percent, suggesting a modest comparative advantage in a region where industrialisation is generally sluggish. Continued policy emphasis on value‑added manufacturing, improved infrastructure, and integration into regional value chains could reverse the long‑term downward trajectory and raise the industrial employment share in the coming decade.