Cotonou vs Lilongwe

Cotonou leads Lilongwe by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 55 to 54. Cotonou grades better on 4 measures, Lilongwe on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Cotonou 55, Lilongwe 54
• OECD: Cotonou 48, Lilongwe 52
• UN Tourism: Cotonou 50, Lilongwe 54
• UNDRR: Cotonou 37, Lilongwe 43

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Cotonou 56, Lilongwe 60
• Economy and jobs: Cotonou 67, Lilongwe 42
• Climate and hazards: Cotonou 40, Lilongwe 65
• Water and environment: Cotonou 38, Lilongwe 69
• Community and housing: Cotonou 100, Lilongwe 50
• Access and continuity: Cotonou 38, Lilongwe 33

Where Cotonou is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 4.6 % of the labour force (INSAE (now INStaD) via Matin Libre, Enquête Régionale Intégrée sur l'Emploi et le Secteur Informel (ERI-ESI), 2018). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -0.2 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (INStaD) via Trading Economics, August 2025 – August 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 40.6 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 40 and 60: grade 2/4.

Where Lilongwe is stronger

• Tropical nights: 14.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 10 and 30: grade 3/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Country disaster risk: 4.7 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 3.5 and 5: grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 182.5 kg per resident per year (GSGS.network / Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology, 2023). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 48 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (PLOS ONE / ResearchGate, 'The spatial heterogeneity of urban green space distribution and configuration in Lilongwe City, Malawi', 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Benin: #106 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Malawi: #107 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Cotonou in full · Lilongwe in full

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