At Stake in this Election: 

• All 109 members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President Patrice TALON (since 6 Apr 2016) 

• Head of Government: President Patrice TALON (since 6 Apr 2016) 

• Assembly: A unicameral National Assembly with 109 members 

Electoral System:  

• The President is directly elected in a two-round system, in which a candidate must receive a majority of votes to be elected. They are elected to a five-year term, with a limit of two terms. 

• The 109 members of the National Assembly are elected by proportional representation in 24 multi-member constituencies. They are elected to five-year terms, with a limit of three terms. 

Last Election: 

• The Progressive Union won a majority with 47 seats, with the remaining 36 seats going to the Republican Bloc.  

• Elections were not held in 39 of the 546 districts due to local conflict. 

Since Last Election: 

• In November of 2019, the National Assembly unanimously approved an amendment to the Constitution. Changes include: 

• Increase of members of the National Assembly from 83 to 109 

• Lengthening of terms of National Assembly members from 4 years to 5 

• Limit added of three terms per National Assembly member 

• One seat per constituency will now be reserved for females for a total of 24 seats 

• The post of vice president was added, which will be elected concurrently with presidential, legislative, and municipal elections beginning in January 2026 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: November 2 

• Voter registration deadline: N/A 

Main Parties in this Election:  

• Progressive Union for Renewal (UPR) 

• Leader: Joseph DJOGBENOU 

• Seats won in last election: 47 

• Republican Bloc (BR) 

• Leader: Abdoulaye BIO TCHANÉ 

• Seats won in last election: 36 

• Movement of Elites Committed to the Emancipation of Benin (MOELE-BENIN) 

• Leader: Jacques OHS AYADJI 

• Seats won in last election: N/A 

• Democratic Union for a New Benin (UDBN) 

• Leader: Claudine PRUDENCIO 

• Seats won in last election: N/A 

• Popular Liberation Movement (MPL) 

• Leader: N/A 

• Seats won in last election: N/A 

• Democrats 

• Leader: Eric HOUNDETE 

• Seats won in last election: N/A 

• Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin 

• Leader: Paul HOUNKPE 

• Seats won in last election: N/A 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 13,754,688 (2022 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 6,599,223 (2022) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 6,539,495 (2020 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Signed 11 Nov 1981, Ratified 12 Mar 1992 

• Gender Quota: Yes, one seat per constituency is reserved for a female.  

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 6 out of 81 (7.4%) 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: Rank 161 at 0.525 (2021)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High at 0.278 (2014) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 08 Feb 2008, Ratified 05 Jul 2012  

• Projected population with a disability: 2,063,203 (2022 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Benin: No