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.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.

• In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 83 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.*

*Seats are split into 24 multi-member constituencies creating a low district magnitude.

Main parties/coalitions* in the electoral race:^[1]

• Party: Force Cauri for an Emerging Benin (Forces Cauris pour un Bénin Emergent or FCBE)
  • Leader: Yayi BONI
  • Seats won in last election: 41
• Party: Benin Renaissance (RB)
  • Leader: Rosine SOGLO
• Party: Be African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP)
  • Leader: Sefou FAGBOHOUN
• Party: Social Democrat Party (PSD)
  • Leader: Emmanuel GOLOU
• Party: Key Force (FC)
  • Leader: Lazare SÈHOUÉTO
• Party: Democratic Renewal Party (PRD)
  • Leader: Adrien HOUNGBEDJI

*Some smaller parties will also be running but the status of coalitions ​and alliances is currently pending.

Last election:

• The last election for the Assemblée Nationale was held on 30 April 2011.  There were 3,629,837 registered voters for the election.  The Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) won 41 seats (of 83), while the Build the Nation Union (UN) Coalition won 30 seats, the Amana Alliance won 2 seats, the G13 Baobab Alliance won 2 seats, the Strength in Unity Alliance (AFU) won 2 seats, the Cauris 2 Alliance won 2 seats, the Hope Force - Union for Change (UPR) won 2 seats, and the Union for Benin (UB) won 2 seats.^[2]

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,160,556 (2014 est.)^[3]

• Registered Voters: 3,629,837 (2011)^[4]

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 5,060,701 (2014 est.)^[5]

• Is Benin a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (25 May 2000)

• Has Benin ratified CEDAW: No

• Gender Quota:  N/A

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes

• Number of Female Legislators: 7 (8.4%) of 83 seats^[6]

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 165^[7]

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High^[8]

Disability Data:

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

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