Senegal

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 357,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

over 25 private TV stations; state-run Radiodiffusion T l vision S n galaise (RTS) broadcasts from five cities; wide range of independent TV available via satellite; hundreds of radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar

Internet country code

.sn

Internet users

percent of population: 61% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 399,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 22.4 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

rice, groundnuts, watermelons, millet, cassava, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, onions, milk (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $7.749 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $9.267 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

-$6.072 billion (2023 est.) -$5.542 billion (2022 est.) -$3.327 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$14.985 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

lower middle-income, services-driven West African economy; key mining, construction, agriculture, and fishing industries; tourism and exports hit hard by COVID-19; large informal economy; developing offshore oil and gas fields; systemic corruption

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 606.345 (2024 est.) 606.57 (2023 est.) 623.76 (2022 est.) 554.531 (2021 est.) 575.586 (2020 est.)

Exports

$7.001 billion (2023 est.) $7.418 billion (2022 est.) $6.78 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, refined petroleum, phosphoric acid, fish, cement (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Mali 21%, India 12%, Switzerland 11%, China 5%, UAE 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$32.267 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 65.8% (2024 est.) government consumption: 16.4% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 32.1% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0.8% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 28.1% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -43.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 15.5% (2024 est.) industry: 25.4% (2024 est.) services: 49.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

36.2 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 28.8% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$14.916 billion (2023 est.) $14.698 billion (2022 est.) $12.278 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, garments, wheat (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 19%, France 9%, Nigeria 7%, India 7%, Russia 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

20% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.8% (2024 est.) 5.9% (2023 est.) 9.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

5.763 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$83.183 billion (2024 est.) $77.82 billion (2023 est.) $74.642 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

6.9% (2024 est.) 4.3% (2023 est.) 3.9% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$4,500 (2024 est.) $4,300 (2023 est.) $4,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

10.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 10.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 11.3% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Taxes and other revenues

19.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

3% (2024 est.) 2.8% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 4.1% (2024 est.) male: 3.2% (2024 est.) female: 6.3% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

consumption: 138,000 metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 21 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 181,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 1.772 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 7.547 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 486 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 983 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 67.9% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 96.6% electrification - rural areas: 43.4%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 78.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 3.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

8.303 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 34.646 million cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 34.604 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 65,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

10.373 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 456,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 9.859 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 58,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Environmental issues

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; droughts; seasonal flooding; overfishing; weak environmental laws; poaching

International environmental agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 49.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.) forest: 45.1% (2023 est.) other: 5.5% (2023 est.)

Methane emissions

energy: 37 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 258.5 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 89.6 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 4.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

42.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.97 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 261 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 1.416 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 2.759 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 49.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.454 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.9% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 196,722 sq km land: 192,530 sq km water: 4,192 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Dakota; slightly larger than twice the size of Indiana

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Coastline

531 km

Elevation

highest point: unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 69 m

Geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 14 00 W

Geography - note

westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 2,684 km border countries (5): The Gambia 749 km; Guinea 363 km; Guinea-Bissau 341 km; Mali 489 km; Mauritania 742 km

Land use

agricultural land: 49.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.) forest: 45.1% (2023 est.) other: 5.5% (2023 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, and Mauritania [m] ) - 1,641 km; Gambie (Gambia) (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Senegal (456,397 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Natural resources

fish, phosphates, iron ore

Population distribution

the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Administrative divisions

14 regions ( r gions , singular - r gion ); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, K edougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Capital

name: Dakar geographic coordinates: 14 44 N, 17 38 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, D.C., during Standard Time) etymology: the name comes from the Wolof word n'dakar , meaning "tamarind tree"

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal dual citizenship recognized: no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum; the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote; the republican form of government is not amendable

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: R publique du S n gal local short form: S n gal former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation etymology: named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country; the river's name may derive from "Azenegue," the Portuguese name for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river, or it could come from a local word meaning "navigable"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau embassy: Route des Almadies, Dakar mailing address: 2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130 telephone: [221] 33-879-4000 email address and website: DakarACS@state.gov https://sn.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoul Wahab HAIDARA (since 24 July 2025) chancery: 2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 629-2961 email address and website: contact@ambasenegal-us.org http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single, renewable 5-year term most recent election date: 24 March 2024 election results: 2024: Bassirou Diomaye FAYE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (PASTEF) 54%, Amadou BA (APR) 36%, other 10% 2019: Macky SALL reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5% expected date of next election: March 2029

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), yellow, and red, with a small five-pointed green star centered on the yellow band; green stands for Islam, progress, and hope, yellow for natural wealth and progress, and red for sacrifice and determination; the star represents unity and hope history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement note: the colors from left to right are the same as Mali's flag and the reverse of Guinea's flag

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

4 April 1960 (from France); 20 August 1960 (full independence after federation with Mali is dissolved)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supr me (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president, and 5 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice; judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years; Constitutional Council members are appointed, 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker; judges serve 6-year terms, with renewal of 2 members every 2 years subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president); Courts of Appeal; Court of Auditors; assize courts; regional and district courts; Labor Court

Legal system

civil law system based on French law; Constitutional Council reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislature name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 165 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/17/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Pastef Party (130); Coalition Takku Wallu Sénégal (16); Other (19) percentage of women in chamber: 41.2% expected date of next election: November 2029

National anthem(s)

title: "Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons) lyrics/music: Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER history: adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title

National color(s)

green, yellow, red

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 7 (5 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Island of Gor e (c); Niokolo-Koba National Park (n); Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (n); Island of Saint-Louis (c); Stone Circles of Senegambia (c); Saloum Delta (c); Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula, and Bedik Cultural Landscapes (c)

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

National symbol(s)

lion

Political parties

Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP AND (National Alliance for Democracy) And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS ARC (Alternative for the next generation of citizens) Awal Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope); coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP Bokk Gis Gis coalition Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk Coalition Mimi 2024 Dare the Future movement Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT Democratic Renaissance Congress Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR Grand Party or GP Gueum sa Bopp (Believe in yourself) Independence and Labor Party or PIT Jotna Coalition Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW Madicke 2019 coalition National Union for the People or UNP Only Senegal Movement Party for Truth and Development or PVD Party of Unity and Rally or PUR Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi PRP (Republican party for Progress) Rewmi Party Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS; coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS Socialist Party or PS Tekki Movement R ewum Ngor (Republic of Values) Servants (Les Serviteurs)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Senegal is one of the few countries in the world with evidence of continuous human life from the Paleolithic period to present. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Jolof Empire ruled most of Senegal. Starting in the 15th century, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain traded along the Senegalese coast. Senegal s location on the western tip of Africa made it a favorable base for the European slave trade. European powers used the Senegalese island of Goree as a base to purchase slaves from the warring chiefdoms on the mainland, and at the height of the slave trade in Senegal, over one-third of the Senegalese population was enslaved. In 1815, France abolished slavery and began expanding inland. During the second half of the 19th century, France took possession of Senegal as a French colony. In 1959, the French colonies of Senegal and French Sudan were merged and granted independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. The union broke up after only a few months. In 1982, Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never implemented, and the union dissolved in 1989. Since the 1980s, the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance -- a separatist movement based in southern Senegal -- has led a low-level insurgency. Several attempts at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement have failed. Since 2012, despite sporadic incidents of violence, an unofficial cease-fire has remained largely in effect. Senegal is one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. The Socialist Party of Senegal ruled for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000 and re-elected in 2007. WADE amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and weaken the opposition. In 2012, WADE s decision to run for a third presidential term sparked public backlash that led to his loss to current President Macky SALL. A 2016 constitutional referendum limited future presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE took office in April 2024.

Military - note

the Senegalese military is responsible for both territorial defense and internal security; it also assists the civilian government in such areas as preventive healthcare, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and disaster response; key areas of focus for the military include a low-level insurgency in the country's south, maritime security, and securing the border against smuggling and Sahel-based Islamist insurgent groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State; the military participates in foreign peacekeeping deployments and multinational exercises; its closest security partner is France, which has long maintained a military presence in Senegal Senegalese security forces have been engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC) since 1982; the conflict is one of longest running low-level insurgencies in the World, having claimed more than 5,000 lives while leaving another 60,000 displaced; in recent years, nearly all of the MDFC factions have agreed to cease hostilities (2025)

Military and security forces

Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Arm es S n galaises, FAS): Army (l Arm e de Terre, AT), Senegalese National Navy (Marine S en egalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Arm ee de l'Air du S en egal, AAS), National Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025) note: the National Police operates in major cities, while the Gendarmerie under the FAS primarily operates outside urban areas; both services have specialized anti-terrorism units, and the Gendarmerie has both Territorial and Mobile components

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active Armed Forces personnel, including the Gendarmerie (2025)

Military deployments

190 Central African Republic (MINUSCA; plus about 575 police); approximately 380 police Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military has a mix of older, secondhand, and some more modern equipment from a variety of suppliers, including China, France, Russia, South Africa, Spain, T rkiye, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 (up to 35 for specialized roles); 24-month service commitment (2025)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.7% (male 3,907,986/female 3,760,594) 15-64 years: 55.9% (male 5,098,038/female 5,437,195) 65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 277,290/female 366,416)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

29.54 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 8.8% (2019) women married by age 18: 30.5% (2019) men married by age 18: 0.7% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.2% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 78.9 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 72.8 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 6.1 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 16.4 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 95.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 77% of population (2022 est.) total: 86.2% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 23% of population (2022 est.) total: 13.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

6.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 20.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Wolof 39.7%, Pulaar 27.5%, Sereer 16%, Mandinka 4.9%, Jola 4.2%, Soninke 2.4%, other 5.4% (includes Europeans and persons of Lebanese descent) (2019 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.93 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

4.4% of GDP (2021) 3.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka, Serer, Soninke

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.6 years (2024 est.) male: 68.8 years female: 72.4 years

Literacy

total population: 50.4% (2023 est.) male: 61.5% (2023 est.) female: 41.5% (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.340 million DAKAR (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

237 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 19.4 years (2025 est.) male: 18.4 years female: 20 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.9 years (2019 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese

Net migration rate

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.8% (2016)

Physician density

0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

total: 18,847,519 (2024 est.) male: 9,283,314 female: 9,564,205

Population distribution

the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural, as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.4% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 97.2% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 2.7% (mostly Roman Catholic) (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 95.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 77.4% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 22.6% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years (2023 est.) male: 8 years (2023 est.) female: 10 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 5.4% (2025 est.) male: 10.5% (2025 est.) female: 0.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 49.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2023 - signed cooperation agreement with ESA to leverage space technology for socio-economic growth; established a space control center to provide infrastructure for satellite manufacturing and satellite services 2024 - first Earth observation/remote sensing nanosatellite (GaindeSat-1A) built with French assistance and launched by US; signed agreement with Turkey on space infrastructure advancement; agreed to participate in China's lunar exploration/research station project 2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration; signed agreement with France for capacity development in space infrastructure and Earth observation initiatives

Space agency/agencies

Senegalese Space Study Agency (Agence S n galaise d'Etudes Spatiales or ASES; launched in 2023 under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation) (2025)

Space program overview

small, nascent program focused on earth observation/remote sensing capabilities, largely for climate resilience, environmental management, research, and socio-economic development; conducts research in fields such as astronomy and planetary sciences; has cooperated with space agencies in China, France, Turkey, and the US, as well as the ESA (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Jama at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 13,064 (2024 est.) IDPs: 5,922 (2024 est.)

Airports

20 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6V

Merchant marine

total: 36 (2023) by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 30

Ports

total ports: 6 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 1 very small: 4 ports with oil terminals: 4 key ports: Dakar, Karabane, Lyndiane, M'bao Oil Terminal, Rufisque, St. Louis

Railways

total: 906 km (2017) (713 km operational in 2017) narrow gauge: 906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge