Senegal

Presidential RepublicPop18.5MGDP (PPP)$83.2BCI51Beta CP0.0→Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Senegal

⌘K

Overview

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

Area

Land: 192,530 sq km
Water: 4,192 sq km
Total: 196,722 sq km

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

Land Use

Other: 5.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 45.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 49.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.)

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Coastline: 531 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m
Mean elevation: 69 m

Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 2,684 km
Border countries: The Gambia 749 km; Guinea 363 km; Guinea-Bissau 341 km; Mali 489 km; Mauritania 742 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Geography note: westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Area comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota; slightly larger than twice the size of Indiana
Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 14 00 W
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

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

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

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

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 61.5% (2023 est.)
Female: 41.5% (2023 est.)
Total population: 50.4% (2023 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.)

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
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 29.54 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 4.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 18.4 years
Total: 19.4 years (2025 est.)
Female: 20 years

Population

Male: 9,283,314
Total: 18,847,519 (2024 est.)
Female: 9,564,205

Nationality

Noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Senegalese

Tobacco Use

Male: 10.5% (2025 est.)
Total: 5.4% (2025 est.)
Female: 0.5% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

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

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)

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.)

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 0.7% (2019)
Women married BY age 15: 8.8% (2019)
Women married BY age 18: 30.5% (2019)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 78.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 72.8 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 16.4 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.1 (2024 est.)

Physician density: 0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 4.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 3.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

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

Education Expenditure

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

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 27.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 2.4% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.93 (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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 68.8 years
Female: 72.4 years
Total population: 70.6 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 237 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

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

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 3.340 million DAKAR (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.8% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 21.9 years (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 65.5% (2023 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.2% (2023 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 8 years (2023 est.)
Total: 9 years (2023 est.)
Female: 10 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

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

Capital

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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

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"
Local long form: République du Sénégal
Local short form: Sénégal
Conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
Conventional short form: Senegal

Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); 20 August 1960 (full independence after federation with Mali is dissolved)
Legal system: civil law system based on French law; Constitutional Council reviews legislative acts
Government type: presidential republic

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)
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
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

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Chief of state: President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 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%
Head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024)
Most recent election date: 24 March 2024
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single, renewable 5-year term
Expected date of next election: March 2029

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
National color(s): green, yellow, red

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)
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)

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)

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 165 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Legislature name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 11/17/2024
Expected date of next election: November 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 41.2%
Parties elected and seats per party: Pastef Party (130); Coalition Takku Wallu Sénégal (16); Other (19)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)
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
Lyrics/music: Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER

National symbol(s): lion
Administrative divisions: 14 regions (régions, singular - région); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kéedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 629-2961
Chancery: 2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
Telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
Chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoul Wahab HAIDARA (since 24 July 2025)
Consulate(s) general: New York
Email address and website: contact@ambasenegal-us.org

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

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Embassy: Route des Almadies, Dakar
Telephone: [221] 33-879-4000
Mailing address: 2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C.  20521-2130
Chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau
Email address and website: DakarACS@state.gov

https://sn.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

SENEGAL · LEGISLATURE

National Assembly

165 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

165

Majority line

Largest party

Pastef Party

Parties

All political parties12 parties · 165 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

BF
Bassirou Diomaye Faye
- Head of StateSince 2024
- Head of GovernmentSince 2024

Economy

Budget

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

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $8.1B

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

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $14.3B

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

Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Labor force: 5.763 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

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

Exchange Rates

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

Debt External

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

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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.7%

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

Exports partners: Mali 21%, India 12%, Switzerland 11%, China 5%, UAE 4% (2023)
Imports partners: China 19%, France 9%, Nigeria 7%, India 7%, Russia 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5,071

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $4,200 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $4,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $4,500 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 6.1%

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

Agricultural products: rice, groundnuts, watermelons, millet, cassava, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, onions, milk (2023)
Exports commodities: gold, refined petroleum, phosphoric acid, fish, cement (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, garments, wheat (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$6.1B

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

Taxes and other revenues: 19.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $32.267 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 65.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 16.4% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.8% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 32.1% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 28.1% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -43.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.8%

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

Industrial production growth rate: 20% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $83.183 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $74.642 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $77.82 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $83.183 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 3.2% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 4.1% (2024 est.)
Female: 6.3% (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 25.4% (2024 est.)
Services: 49.1% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 15.5% (2024 est.)

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

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

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

Energy

Coal

Exports: 21 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 181,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 138,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

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

Electricity

Imports: 486 million kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 7.547 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.772 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 983 million kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Production: 34.646 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 34.604 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

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

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 8.303 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 78.3% 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.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 61% (2023 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

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.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 357,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 1
Medium: 1
Key ports: Dakar, Karabane, Lyndiane, M'bao Oil Terminal, Rufisque, St. Louis
Very small: 4
Total ports: 6 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 4

Airports: 20 (2025)

Railways

Total: 906 km (2017) (713 km operational in 2017)
Narrow gauge: 906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

Merchant Marine

Total: 36 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 30

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 6V

Environment

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

Other: 5.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 45.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 49.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 19.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 29.1% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

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

Methane Emissions

Other: 4.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 89.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 37 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 258.5 kt (2019-2021 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.)

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

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.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 10.373 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 58,000 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.)

Particulate matter emissions: 42.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 38.97 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

Military & Security

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

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.6%

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

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 service age and obligation: 18-28 (up to 35 for specialized roles); 24-month service commitment (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 and security service personnel strengths: approximately 25,000 active Armed Forces personnel, including the Gendarmerie (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

Space

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

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 5,922 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 13,064 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index51.0 / 100as of 2024-Q485 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.46as of 2024-Q467 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (67/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Senegal — vintage 2026-Q1: Senegal factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/senegal

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Senegal

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Bassirou Diomaye Faye

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