At Stake in this Election:  

• 109 seats in the Beninese National Assembly 

Government Structure: 

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

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

• Assembly: legislature comprised of a 109-seat National Assembly (Assemblée nationale). 

Electoral System: 

• The President is directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed. The Constitution, as amended in 2021, provides for a 5-Year, once renewable term for the office of President. Constitutional amendments passed by the National Assembly in 2025 will extend the presidential term to 7-Years after the completion of 2026 election cycles, if approved by the Constitutional Court. 

• Members of the National Assembly are directly elected via proportional representation. The Constitution, as amended in 2019, provides for a 5-Year term for its members. Constitutional amendments passed by the National Assembly in 2025 will extend the legislative term to 7-Years after the completion of 2026 election cycles, if approved by the Constitutional Court. 

Last Election: 

The last legislative election was held on January 8, 2023. The Progressive Union won 53 seats, the Democrats won 28 seats, and the Republican Bloc won 28 seats. Voter turnout was 38%.  

New/Unique in this Election: 

This is the first election held since a failed coup attempt was launched in late 2025.  

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: 14 October 2025 

• Voter registration deadline: n/a 

Main Parties in this Election: 

• The Progressive Union / Union Progressiste 

• • Leader: Joseph DJOGBENOU 

• • Seats won in the last election: 53 out of 109 

• Republican Bloc / Bloc Républicain 

• • Leader: Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE 

• • Seats won in the last election: 28 out of 109 

• Democrats / Les Democrates 

• • Leader: Thomas Boni YAYI 

• • Seats won in the last election: 28 out of 109 

• Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin  

• • Seats won in the last election: 0 out of 109 

• Moelle-Benin  

• • Seats won in the last election: 0 out of 109 

• Renewal 

• • Seats won in the last election: 0 out of 109 

Country Context: 

• Population: 14,462,724 (2024 estimate) 

• Registered Voters: 6,769,817 (2023 estimate) 

• V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score: 0.501 (2024 estimate) 

• V-Dem Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Autocracy (2024 estimate) 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.515, Low, 173 (2023 estimate)  

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 7,210,159 (2024 estimate) 

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

• Gender Quota:  Yes, 24 seats are exclusively reserved for women. 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 29 out of 109 (26.6%) of the National Assembly 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 34.4 (2023 estimate) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 8 Feb 2008, 5 July 2012 

• Projected population with a disability: 2,314,036 (2024 estimate)