Time in Benin Right Now

Benin follows West Africa Time (WAT), which runs on UTC +1 throughout the entire year. The country does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so its time remains stable across all seasons.

Major cities such as Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou, Abomey, and Bohicon all use the same national time zone. This supports consistent scheduling for business, travel, communication, and daily activities across the country.

Benin Time Zone Information

• IANA Time Zone: Africa/Porto-Novo

• UTC Offset: UTC +1 hour

• Time Zone Abbreviation: WAT (West Africa Time)

• DST: Not observed

• DST Abbreviation: None — WAT stays constant year-round

Benin shares its time with many West and Central African countries.

Benin time zone(s)

The official IANA identifier for Benin is Africa/Porto-Novo.

Daylight Saving Time in Benin

Benin does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The entire country remains on UTC +1 throughout the year.

This provides simple, consistent timekeeping across all regions.

Major cities in Benin & their time

All major cities follow the same national time.

Brief info for Benin time

• Number of time zones: 1

• Capital city: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (economic hub)

• Default time: West Africa Time (WAT)

• Daylight Saving Time: Not used

• IANA Time Zone ID: Africa/Porto-Novo

• Standard UTC Offset: UTC +1

• Neighbouring countries with same time: Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad

• Regional differences: None — uniform time across Benin

Pros and Cons

Pros

1. One national time zone — simple and consistent.

2. UTC +1 aligns with many African countries.

3. No DST — no seasonal time confusion.

4. Beneficial for travel and regional trade.

5. Predictable year-round schedule.

Cons

1. Time difference with Asia and the Americas may affect communication.

2. No DST means earlier sunsets in certain months.