Benin Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Benin, go to the Religious Records page.

Research use: Church records are a primary source of birth, marriage, and death information in Benin. They identify names of parents, prove other relationships, and are very useful for linking generations.

Record type: Records of births/baptisms, marriages, and deaths/burials. Time period: 1860 to present.

Contents: Baptisms – name of individual, date of birth and baptism, names of parents. Marriages – name of couple, date and place of marriage, names of parents. Burials – name of the deceased, date and place of death and burial, age at time of death.

Location: National Archives in Porto Novo, diocesan archives, and local churches.

Population coverage: Estimated to be 20% where the record is extant. The actual population coverage cannot be determined without ascertaining the extent to which this record exists and has been preserved.