Senegal Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Dakar

Population

18,847,519 (2024 est.)

Area

196,722 sq km

Location

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

🧭 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.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area — total

196,722 sq km

Area — land

192,530 sq km

Area — water

4,192 sq km

Area - comparative

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

Land boundaries — total

2,684 km

Land boundaries — border countries

The Gambia 749 km; Guinea 363 km; Guinea-Bissau 341 km; Mali 489 km; Mauritania 742 km

Coastline

531 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

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

Terrain

Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Elevation — highest point

Unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m

Elevation — lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

69 m

Natural resources

Fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use — agricultural land

49.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

45.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (2012)

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)

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

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

Natural hazards

Lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Geography - note

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

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

18,847,519 (2024 est.)

Population — male

9,283,314

Population — female

9,564,205

Nationality — noun

Senegalese (singular and plural)

Nationality — adjective

Senegalese

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.)

Languages

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

Religions

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

Age structure — 0-14 years

40.7% (male 3,907,986/female 3,760,594)

Age structure — 15-64 years

55.9% (male 5,098,038/female 5,437,195)

Age structure — 65 years and over

3.4% (2024 est.) (male 277,290/female 366,416)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

78.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

72.8 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

6.1 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

16.4 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

19.4 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

18.4 years

Median age — female

20 years

Population growth rate

2.4% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

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

Urbanization — urban population

49.6% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.340 million DAKAR (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.9 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

30.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

27.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

70.6 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

68.8 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

72.4 years

Total fertility rate

3.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.93 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 95.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 77% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 86.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 4.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 23% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 13.8% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

3.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

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

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 95.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 60.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 77.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 4.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 39.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 22.6% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

5.4% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

10.5% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

0.5% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.2% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65.5% (2023 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

8.8% (2019)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

30.5% (2019)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

0.7% (2019)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

6.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

20.9% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

50.4% (2023 est.)

Literacy — male

61.5% (2023 est.)

Literacy — female

41.5% (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

9 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

8 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

10 years (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

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

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

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

Land use — agricultural land

49.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

45.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.5% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

49.6% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

10.373 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

456,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

9.859 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

58,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

42.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

37 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

258.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

89.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

4.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

2.454 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.9% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

261 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

1.416 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

2.759 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.97 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Senegal

Country name — conventional short form

Senegal

Country name — local long form

République du Sénégal

Country name — local short form

Sénégal

Country name — former

Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation

Country name — 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"

Government type

Presidential republic

Capital — name

Dakar

Capital — geographic coordinates

14 44 N, 17 38 W

Capital — time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, D.C., during Standard Time)

Capital — etymology

The name comes from the Wolof word n'dakar, meaning "tamarind tree"

Administrative divisions

14 regions (régions, singular - région); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kéedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Legal system

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

Constitution — history

Previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001

Constitution — 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

International law organization participation

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

At least one parent must be a citizen of Senegal

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in another state

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024)

Executive branch — cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single, renewable 5-year term

Executive branch — most recent election date

24 March 2024

Executive branch — 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%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

March 2029

Legislative branch — legislature name

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — number of seats

165 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Mixed system

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

11/17/2024

Legislative branch — parties elected and seats per party

Pastef Party (130); Coalition Takku Wallu Sénégal (16); Other (19)

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

41.2%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

November 2029

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (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)

Judicial branch — 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

Judicial branch — 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

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) Awalé 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 Réewum Ngor (Republic of Values) Servants (Les Serviteurs)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Abdoul Wahab HAIDARA (since 24 July 2025)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 234-0540

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 629-2961

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Contact@ambasenegal-us.org http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

New York

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

Route des Almadies, Dakar

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[221] 33-879-4000

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

DakarACS@state.gov https://sn.usembassy.gov/

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

Independence

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 April (1960)

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

National symbol(s)

Lion

National color(s)

Green, yellow, red

National anthem(s) — title

"Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER

National anthem(s) — 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 heritage — total World Heritage Sites

7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Island of Gorée (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)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$83.183 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$77.82 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$74.642 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

6.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.9% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$4,500 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$4,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$4,200 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$32.267 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

0.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

15.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

25.4% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

49.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

65.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

16.4% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

32.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

28.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-43.1% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Rice, groundnuts, watermelons, millet, cassava, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, onions, milk (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

20% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.763 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

3% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

2.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

2.9% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

4.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

3.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

6.3% (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

36.2 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

3% (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

28.8% (2021 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

10.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

10.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

11.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$7.749 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$9.267 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$6.072 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$5.542 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

-$3.327 billion (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$7.001 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$7.418 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$6.78 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

Mali 21%, India 12%, Switzerland 11%, China 5%, UAE 4% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Gold, refined petroleum, phosphoric acid, fish, cement (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$14.916 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$14.698 billion (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$12.278 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

China 19%, France 9%, Nigeria 7%, India 7%, Russia 5% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, garments, wheat (2023)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$14.985 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

606.345 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

67.9% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

96.6%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

43.4%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

1.772 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

7.547 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

486 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

983 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

78.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — wind

9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

3.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

138,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

21 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

181,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

65,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas — production

34.646 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

34.604 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

8.303 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

399,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

22.4 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

Over 25 private TV stations; state-run Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise (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.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

357,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6V

Airports

20 (2025)

Railways — total

906 km (2017) (713 km operational in 2017)

Railways — narrow gauge

906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

Merchant marine — total

36 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

General cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 30

Ports — total ports

6 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

1

Ports — small

1

Ports — very small

4

Ports — ports with oil terminals

4

Ports — key ports

Dakar, Karabane, Lyndiane, M'bao Oil Terminal, Rufisque, St. Louis

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army (l’Armée de Terre, AT), Senegalese National Navy (Marine Séenéegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Arméee de l'Air du Séenéegal, AAS), National Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

1.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Approximately 25,000 active Armed Forces personnel, including the Gendarmerie (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, Türkiye, and the US (2025)

Military service age and obligation

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

Military deployments

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

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)

🛰️ Space⬆️ Top

Space agency/agencies

Senegalese Space Study Agency (Agence Sénégalaise 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)

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

🚨 Terrorism⬆️ Top

Terrorist group(s)

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

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

13,064 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

5,922 (2024 est.)