At stake in this election:

• 83 seats in the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Thomas Boni YAYI *
• Head of Government: President Thomas Boni YAYI
• Assembly: Benin has a unicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 83 seats.

* The president is both chief of state and head of government.
The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term renewable once.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 83 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

Note: Results above have approximate figures. 

• Party: Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin / Forces Cauris pour un Bénin Emergent (FCBE)*
  • Leader: Boni YAYI
  • Seats won in this election: 35
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Alliance for Dynamic Democracy (ADD)
  • Leader: Nicephore SOBLO
  • Seats won in this election: 20
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Party for Democratic Revival / Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (PRD)
  • Leader: Adrien HOUNGBEDJI
  • Seats won in this election: 10
  • Seats won in last election: 11
• Party: Key Force / Force Clé (FC)****
  • Leader: Lazare SEHOUETO
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Party: Union for Renewal / Union pour la Relève (UPR)
  • Leader: Salifou ISSA
  • Seats won in this election: 3
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: National Alliance for Change / Alliance Nationale pour le Changement (ANC)
  • Leader: Philippe ABOUMON
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Alliance to Defend Change / Alliance pour la Défense du Changement (ADC)
  • Leader: Touré MERE
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: The Awakening Alliance / Alliance Le Réveil (AR)********
  • Leader: Martin Dohou AZONHIHO
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 8,707,637 (2007)
• Registered voters: 4,000,000 (est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,387,874 (2007)

·         Is Benin a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (11 November 1981)

·         Has Benin ratified CEDAW: Yes (12 March 1992)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 7 (following 2007 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 166 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Benin a signatory to CRPD: Yes (8 February 2008)

·         Has Benin ratified CRPD: Yes (5 July 2012)

·         Population with a disability: 1,306,145 (est.)