2020 Edition

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.

Area

land

192,530 sq km

total

196,722 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

border countries

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

total

2,684 km

Land use

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.)

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

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

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

beer

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

29.54 births/1,000 population (2025 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)

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

elderly dependency ratio

6.1 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

16.4 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

78.9 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

72.8 (2024 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.)

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

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

3.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

female

27.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.4 years

male

68.8 years

total population

70.6 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

41.5% (2023 est.)

male

61.5% (2023 est.)

total population

50.4% (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

female

20 years

male

18.4 years

total

19.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.9 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Senegalese

noun

Senegalese (singular and plural)

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

female

9,564,205

male

9,283,314

total

18,847,519 (2024 est.)

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

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2023 est.)

male

8 years (2023 est.)

total

9 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

0.5% (2025 est.)

male

10.5% (2025 est.)

total

5.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

49.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

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

geographic coordinates

14 44 N, 17 38 W

name

Dakar

time difference

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

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

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

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Senegal

conventional short form

Senegal

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"

former

Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation

local long form

République du Sénégal

local short form

Sénégal

Diplomatic representation from the US

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/

embassy

Route des Almadies, Dakar

mailing address

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

telephone

[221] 33-879-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

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

FAX

[1] (202) 629-2961

telephone

[1] (202) 234-0540

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%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024)

most recent election date

24 March 2024

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

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 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)

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

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

November 2029

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

most recent election date

11/17/2024

number of seats

165 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

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

percentage of women in chamber

41.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

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

lyrics/music

Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER

title

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

National color(s)

green, yellow, red

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)

total World Heritage Sites

7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)

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)  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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

$9.267 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$7.749 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

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.)

Debt - external

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

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$6.78 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$7.418 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$7.001 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

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

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

28.1% (2024 est.)

government consumption

16.4% (2024 est.)

household consumption

65.8% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-43.1% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.1% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.5% (2024 est.)

industry

25.4% (2024 est.)

services

49.1% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$32.267 billion (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

highest 10%

28.8% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$12.278 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$14.698 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$14.916 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

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

Industrial production growth rate

20% (2024 est.)

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)

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.)

Labor force

5.763 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

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.)

Real GDP growth rate

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.)

Real GDP per capita

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.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

11.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

10.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

10.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

2.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.3% (2024 est.)

male

3.2% (2024 est.)

total

4.1% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

138,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

21 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

181,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

7.547 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

486 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.772 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

983 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

43.4%

electrification - total population

67.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

96.6%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.4% 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.)

solar

7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

8.303 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

34.604 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

34.646 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

65,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

9,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

total

357,000 (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

Internet users

percent of population

61% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

399,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

22.4 million (2023 est.)

Airports

20 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6V

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 30

total

36 (2023)

Ports

key ports

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

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

4

small

1

total ports

6 (2024)

very small

4

Railways

narrow gauge

906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

total

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

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 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 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, Türkiye, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

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 service age and obligation

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

5,922 (2024 est.)

refugees

13,064 (2024 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 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)

Terrorist group(s)

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

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

from consumed natural gas

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

from petroleum and other liquids

9.859 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

10.373 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

Methane emissions

agriculture

258.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

37 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

4.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

89.6 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

agricultural

2.759 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

1.416 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

261 million cubic meters (2022 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.)