Beninese students in France: how many they are, where they study, and how to find each other

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

In five years, their number has more than doubled. Beninese students in France now form one of the fastest-growing African student communities, with a profile the figures make clear: mostly at university, as many in bachelor's as in master's programmes, and France remaining by far their first destination. This article sets out the official data, the associations we were able to verify, 1 August, and how to find your compatriots before you even arrive. For the admission procedure itself, start with our Campus France Benin guide.

Beninese students in France: how many are there?

Campus France (the French government agency for international students) publishes two series of figures, both drawn from SIES, the statistics service of the French higher education ministry:

No other country in Campus France's top 25 showed one-year growth as strong as Benin's +24% in 2023-2024. Study visas issued to Beninese nationals follow the same curve, according to the French interior ministry figures quoted in the sheet:

In practice, every intake brings more than 3,000 newcomers. Good news for those arriving: in the big university cities, someone went through it last year.

University first: the profile of Beninese students

Campus France's mobility sheet gives the type of institution for 2024-2025:

Across all international students, Campus France counts 63% at university: among Beninese students, it is 71%. At university, the licence (bachelor's, 3,011 students, 51%) is just ahead of the master's (2,724, 46%), far ahead of the doctorate (222, 4%). Science and health account for 2,403 students, ahead of economics and AES (economic and social administration, 1,419), arts, languages and humanities (1,406) and law (729).

This profile has a practical consequence: many arrive in the first or second year of a bachelor's, often straight after secondary school. The questions that keep coming up in the community are therefore about the first accommodation, study methods at university and the first-semester budget.

France, the first destination for Beninese students

According to Unesco data quoted in the mobility sheet, 11,144 Beninese students were studying abroad in 2023:

Unesco does not count the same way as SIES, hence the gap with the 8,361 students recorded in France. The order, however, is clear: more than four in ten internationally mobile Beninese students choose France. Beyond students, the UN (International Migrant Stock 2024) estimates the number of Benin-born migrants living in France at 31,581; this figure counts people born in Benin, not their children born in France. For those weighing up Belgium, our article on Beninese people in Belgium describes the community across the border.

Which cities do they study in?

In the official publications we consulted, we found no breakdown of Beninese students by city or academic region. Better to say so than to invent a ranking. The associations listed below offer only a few clues: Nantes, Montpellier, the Lille area, Bordeaux. Since 71% of Beninese students are at university, the big university cities naturally take most of them.

To find out who is already in your future city, the most reliable way is to ask those who live there: local associations, your institution's international relations office, and the community of compatriots.

Beninese associations in France

Unlike some countries, Campus France Benin does not publish a list of Beninese student associations in France. The ones below appear in public sources we consulted: the mapping of the Beninese diaspora published in 2020 and updated in 2022 by EUDiF, a programme funded by the European Union, municipal directories, FORIM (the forum of migrant organisations) and the French Official Journal.

Two tips before you get involved. First, check that the association is still active: Gbenonkpo's registration dates from 2010, and a student association's activity depends on its volunteers of the moment; EUDiF also notes that the HCBE has gone through internal disputes. Second, look beyond Beninese associations: pan-African associations and those on your campus welcome many West African students. Our overview of African student associations in France presents several. Campus France Benin also recommends being paired with a volunteer student mentor, through the ESN network and its « Buddy System », present in 34 French cities.

1 August, Independence Day in the diaspora

1 August marks the independence of Dahomey, which became Benin, in 1960. In the diaspora, the date brings meals, parties and concerts organised by associations, restaurants or groups of friends. It falls in midsummer, when many students stay in France for an internship or a job, which often makes it the big gathering for those not going home.

On Compatri, the Benin Independence Day page gathers the celebrations organised in the diaspora, as soon as members or associations publish them. If nothing is planned in your city yet, perhaps it is up to you to start the first one.

Mutual aid between Beninese students, day to day

The first weeks concentrate the paperwork, and that is when mutual aid matters most:

For the full list of what to do when you arrive, follow our guide to the first month of an international student in France.

When the community is not enough

A community supports you; it does not replace the services designed for that. If money runs short, housing falls through or morale drops, also turn to the Crous social service (the French student welfare body) and your university's health service, open to international students like everyone else. Your institution's international relations office usually knows the local emergency schemes. Talking about it early stops a temporary difficulty from jeopardising the year.

Finding your compatriots with Compatri

That is exactly what Compatri is for: finding people from your country of origin in the city where you live. The Beninese community of your future city brings together students, young professionals and long-settled families, who post meet-ups, answer questions and welcome newcomers. You can find it from the Beninese in France page and join before you even leave, as our guide to joining your community before you leave explains. The « African students » group, open beyond a single city, completes this network for questions about housing, internships and mutual aid between campuses.

Compatri is not a Campus France or government service and does not replace the official source: for your procedures, refer to Campus France Benin, France-Visas and service-public.gouv.fr.

Official sources

• Campus France: Chiffres clés 2025 press release, annex on countries of origin (PDF)
• Campus France: Benin mobility sheet, October 2025 (PDF)
• UN DESA: International Migrant Stock 2024
• EUDiF (European Union): diaspora engagement mapping, Benin (PDF)
• Nantes Métropole: Association Béninois et amis de Nantes
• FORIM: Association des Ressortissants Béninois en France