Key data for Benin

NCI28th HRCI11th HANCI17th
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 32.2% Wasting: 5% Proportion of population underweight: 5% Source: Government of Benin (DHS,2018)

Strong Performance

  • Spending on agriculture (10.7% of public spending in 2018) meets government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • The Government encourages varied agricultural research and extension services, and local farmer organisations are involved in setting policy priorities. The extension system is effective and properly reaches out to poor farmers. Government policies, strategies and mechanisms seek to ensure gender equity in access to extension services.
  • Relative to other HANCI countries, Benin’s medium/long term national development policy (Plan National Développement 2018 - 2025) assigns strong importance to nutrition.
  • Benin has introduced a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism to support delivery of the National Nutrition Policy/Strategy.
  • Policymakers in Benin benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2017-2018.
  • The Government has fully enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • The Government of Benin promotes complementary feeding practices.
  • In Benin, constitutional protection of the right to social security is strong.

Areas for improvement

  • Benin’s spending in its health sector (4.6% of public spending in 2017) does not fully meet (15%) commitments set out in the Abuja Declaration.
  • In Benin, the law does not give women economic rights equal to men. Men and women have equal legal access to agricultural land, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Benin does not yet have a National Nutrition Policy/Strategy.
  • The Government of Benin has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for only 52% of children in 2017.
  • Weak access to improved sanitation facilities (16.5% in 2017) obstructs better hunger and nutrition outcomes.
  • Social safety nets in Benin are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
10.7%20184th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
4.6%2017Joint 31st
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Moderate2019Joint 14th
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Strong2019Joint 17th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
85.6%2017-189th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 26th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Moderate2019Joint 10th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
Not in Law2019Joint 16th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2014Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 24th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
52%201731st
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2010Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
76.4%201731st
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
16.5%201740th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
83.2%2017-201833rd
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Strong2018-20257th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
No2019Joint 42nd
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2017-2018Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Fully Enshrined2019Joint 1st