Littoral Department

Littoral Department is Benin's metabolic center—79 km² containing only Cotonou, yet generating over 60% of national GDP through port operations alone. The Autonomous Port of Cotonou processed 6.7 million tonnes in H1 2025, up 63% year-on-year, demonstrating the scale of throughput that makes this single commune economically dominant. Port activities account for 90% of international trade, 80% of customs revenue, and 45% of tax revenue—dependencies that make Cotonou irreplaceable.

The department represents extreme concentration economics. Created in 1999 when split from Atlantique, Littoral exists solely because Cotonou's economic logic differs fundamentally from its agricultural surroundings. The city attracts West African immigrants seeking formal-sector employment, creating demographic diversity unusual for Benin. Nearly 85% of workers operate in the informal economy, from market traders to transport services, creating a parallel economic system alongside the formal port-based activities.

Major investments aim to strengthen this keystone position. An €80 million African Development Bank agreement (February 2025) will modernize port infrastructure and reclaim 25 hectares from the sea for a new terminal. The Africa Logistics Zone (40 hectares, created 2024) attempts to add value to transit goods rather than merely passing them through. Whether Cotonou can transition from transit hub to processing center—capturing manufacturing value rather than just transport fees—determines whether Littoral's GDP share will grow or gradually erode as landlocked neighbors develop alternative routes.