The Bariba, the fourth-largest ethnic group, comprise several subgroups and make up about 1/12 of Benin's population. They inhabit the northeast, particularly towns such as Nikki and Kandi that were once Bariba kingdoms. The Somba are found in Natitingou and in villages in the northwest. Other northern groups include the Dendi, the Djougou, the Pila, and the nomadic Fulani. Several thousand French, Lebanese, and other nationals reside in Benin, primarily in Cotonou and Porto-Novo.

The main cities are Cotonou which have population, 780,000; Porto-Novo which have population, 220,000, the capital; and Parakou which have population, 140,000. Some 42 ethnic groups are described in Benin. The Fon, or Dahomeans, and the closely related Adja, who together account for about 3/5 of the population, are the main ethnic groups in the south; the Bariba and Somba which together about 1/6 of the population, are the largest in the north; and the Yoruba which are 1/8 of the population, predominate in the southeast.

The majority of Benin's 6.8 million people live in the south. The population is young, with a life expectancy of 50 years. About 42 African ethnic groups live in this nation; these various groups settled in Benin at different times and also migrated within the nation. Ethnic groups include the Yoruba in the southeast which are migrated from Nigeria in the 12th century; the Dendi in the north-central area, they came from Mali in the 16th century; the Bariba and the Fulbe in the northeast; the Betammaribe and the Somba in the Atacora Range; the Fon in the area around Abomey in the South Central and the Mina, Xueda, and Aja who came from Togo on the coast.