2022 Edition

Background

Senegal is one of the few countries in the world with evidence of continuous human life from the Paleolithic era 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 defeat to current President Macky SALL. A 2016 constitutional referendum limited future presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. The change, however, does not apply to SALL's first term. In February 2019, SALL won his bid for reelection; his second term will end in 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

46.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.1% (2018 est.)

forest

43.8% (2018 est.)

other

9.4% (2018 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; Gambia (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 kmnote – [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

40.38% (male 3,194,454/female 3,160,111)

15-24 years

20.35% (male 1,596,896/female 1,606,084)

25-54 years

31.95% (male 2,327,424/female 2,700,698)

55-64 years

4.21% (male 283,480/female 378,932)

65 years and over

3.1% (male 212,332/female 275,957) (2020 est.)

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

31.51 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

0.7% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

8.8%

women married by age 18

30.5%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

14.4% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

26.9% (2019)

Current health expenditure

4.1% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

5.08 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

Senegal has a large and growing youth population but has not been successful in developing its potential human capital. Senegal’s high total fertility rate of almost 4.5 children per woman continues to bolster the country’s large youth cohort – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Fertility remains high because of the continued desire for large families, the low use of family planning, and early childbearing. Because of the country’s high illiteracy rate (more than 40%), high unemployment (even among university graduates), and widespread poverty, Senegalese youths face dim prospects; women are especially disadvantaged.Senegal historically was a destination country for economic migrants, but in recent years West African migrants more often use Senegal as a transit point to North Africa – and sometimes illegally onward to Europe. The country also has been host to several thousand black Mauritanian refugees since they were expelled from their homeland during its 1989 border conflict with Senegal. The country’s economic crisis in the 1970s stimulated emigration; departures accelerated in the 1990s. Destinations shifted from neighboring countries, which were experiencing economic decline, civil wars, and increasing xenophobia, to Libya and Mauritania because of their booming oil industries and to developed countries (most notably former colonial ruler France, as well as Italy and Spain). The latter became attractive in the 1990s because of job opportunities and their periodic regularization programs (legalizing the status of illegal migrants).Additionally, about 16,000 Senegalese refugees still remain in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau as a result of more than 30 years of fighting between government forces and rebel separatists in southern Senegal’s Casamance region.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.7

potential support ratio

17.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

81.5

youth dependency ratio

75.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 79.3% of population

improved: total

total: 87.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 20.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 12.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.1% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

28.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

35.78 deaths/1,000 live births

total

32.44 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.77 years (2022 est.)

male

68.23 years

total population

69.96 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

39.8% (2017)

male

64.8%

total population

51.9%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Senegal is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

3.340 million DAKAR (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

315 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

20.3 years (2020 est.)

male

18.5 years

total

19.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.9 years (2019 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Senegalese

noun

Senegalese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.8% (2016)

Physicians density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

17,923,036 (2022 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

Population growth rate

2.57% (2022 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: 55.5% of population

improved: total

total: 74.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 94.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 44.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 25.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 5.9% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2021)

male

8 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.88 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.76 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.7% (2020 est.)

male

13.1% (2020 est.)

total

6.9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.27 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

49.6% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.7% (2019 est.)

male

2.9%

total

4.1%

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

the Atlantic coast trading settlement of Ndakaaru came to be called "Dakar" by French colonialists

geographic coordinates

14 44 N, 17 38 W

name

Dakar

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, 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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2019

history

previous 1959 (preindependence), 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; many theories exist for the origin of the river name; perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river

former

Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation

local long form

Republique du Senegal

local short form

Senegal

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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

email address and website

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

embassy

Route des Almadies, Dakar

mailing address

2130 Dakar Place, Washington DC  20521-2130

telephone

[221] 33-879-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2215 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Mansour Elimane KANE (since 6 January 2020)

consulate(s) general

Houston, New York

email address and website

contact@ambasenegal-us.orghttp://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 Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012)

election results

Macky SALL elected 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% (2019)

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term; election last held on 24 February 2019 (next to be held in February 2024)

head of government

Prime Minister Amadou BA (since 17 September 2022)

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; green represents Islam, progress, and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionel (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 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; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years)

election results

National Assembly results - percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%;  seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 56, WS 24, other 3; composition - men 95, women 70, percent of women 42.4% (2022)

elections

National Assembly - last held on 31 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027) (2022)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER

name

"Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons)

note

note: 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

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; national colors: green, yellow, red

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT [Abdoul MBAYE]Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR [Macky SALL]Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope) [Mahammed DIONNE] (coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP)Bokk Gis Gis coalition [Pape DIOP]Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk [Mansour Sy DJAMIL]Dare the Future movement [Aissata Tall SALL]Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Mamadou NDOYE]Democratic Renaissance Congress [NA]Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG [Jean-Paul DIAS Mendes]General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR [Thierno BOCOUM]Grand Party or GP [Malick GAKOU]Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Maguette THIAM]Jotna Coalition [Dr Abdoulaye Niane]Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW [Barthelemy DIAS, Ousmane SONKO, Khalifa SALL]Madicke 2019 coalition [Madicke NIANG]National Union for the People or UNP [Abdoul MBAYE]Only Senegal Movement [Pierre Goudiaby ATEPA]Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Cheikh Ahmadou Kara MBAKE]Party of Unity and Rally or PUR [Cheikh Mouhamadou Moustapha SY]Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi [Abdoulaye BALDE]Patriots of Senegal for Ethics, Work and Fraternity or PASTEF [Ousmane SONKO]Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS [Abdoulaye WADE] (coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress)Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]Tekki Movement [Mamadou Lamine DIALLO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

groundnuts, watermelons, rice, sugar cane, cassava, millet, maize, onions, sorghum, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

4.9 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

4.139 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B+ (2000)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$769 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.547 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$6.327 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$8.571 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Senegal’s economy is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fisheries and agriculture, which are the primary sources of employment in rural areas. The country's key export industries include phosphate mining, fertilizer production, agricultural products and commercial fishing and Senegal is also working on oil exploration projects. It relies heavily on donor assistance, remittances and foreign direct investment. Senegal reached a growth rate of 7% in 2017, due in part to strong performance in agriculture despite erratic rainfall.   President Macky SALL, who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda, inherited an economy with high energy costs, a challenging business environment, and a culture of overspending. President SALL unveiled an ambitious economic plan, the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP), which aims to implement priority economic reforms and investment projects to increase economic growth while preserving macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. Bureaucratic bottlenecks and a challenging business climate are among the perennial challenges that may slow the implementation of this plan.   Senegal receives technical support from the IMF under a Policy Support Instrument (PSI) to assist with implementation of the ESP. The PSI implementation continues to be satisfactory as concluded by the IMF’s fifth review in December 2017. Financial markets have signaled confidence in Senegal through successful Eurobond issuances in 2014, 2017, and 2018.   The government is focusing on 19 projects under the ESP to continue The government’s goal under the ESP is structural transformation of the economy. Key projects include the Thiès-Touba Highway, the new international airport opened in December 2017, and upgrades to energy infrastructure. The cost of electricity is a chief constraint for Senegal’s development. Electricity prices in Senegal are among the highest in the world. Power Africa, a US presidential initiative led by USAID, supports Senegal’s plans to improve reliability and increase generating capacity.

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

591.45 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

593.01 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

593.01 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

617.4 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$2.498 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2018

$5.29 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, refined petroleum, phosphoric acid, fish, ground nuts (2019)

Exports - partners

Mali 22%, Switzerland 14%, India 9%, China 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27% (2017 est.)

government consumption

15.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

71.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-42.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

3.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

16.9% (2017 est.)

industry

24.3% (2017 est.)

services

58.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$23.576 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

40.3 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.1% (2011)

lowest 10%

2.5%

Imports

Imports 2016

$4.966 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2018

$8.96 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rice, cars, malt extract, clothing and apparel (2019)

Imports - partners

China 17%, France 11%, Belgium 7%, Russia 7%, Netherlands 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

7.7% (2017 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) 2017

1.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

0.4% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-0.8% (2019 est.)

Labor force

6.966 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

77.5%

industry

22.5%

industry and services

22.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line

46.7% (2011 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

48.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$52.47 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$54.78 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$55.26 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

6.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

6.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

7.2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$3,300 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,400 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$3,300 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$116.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$1.827 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2007

48% (2007 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.7% (2019 est.)

male

2.9%

total

4.1%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

1.955 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

101,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

8.64 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

10.696 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

894,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

894,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4,735,980,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

324 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.312 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

764 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

50% (2019)

electrification - total population

71% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

94% (2019)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

84.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

6.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

9.221 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

60.003 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

60.003 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

20,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

57,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,063 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

32,050 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

17,590 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

153,813 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) broadcasts TV programs from five cities in Senegal; in most regions of the country, viewers can receive TV programming from at least 7 private broadcasters; a wide range of independent TV programming is available via satellite; RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations; at least 7 community radio stations and 18 private-broadcast radio stations are available; transmissions of at least 5 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2019)

Internet country code

.sn

Internet users

percent of population

43% (2020 est.)

total

7,199,890 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

generally reliable urban system with a fiber-optic network; about two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar; mobile-cellular service is steadily displacing fixed-line service, even in urban areas; fixed-line roughly 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 114 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

Senegal’s telecom market continues to show steady growth in all sectors; this has been supported by the particular demands made on consumers during the pandemic, which resulted in a particularly strong increase in the number of subscribers; the mobile subscriber base increased 6.7% in 2020, year-on-year, and by 4.1% in 2021, while the number of fixed broadband subscribers increased 17.5% year-on-year in 2021; mobile internet platforms account for the vast majority of all internet accesses; quality of service issues continue to plague the market, with the regulator periodically issuing fines to the market players (2022)

international

country code - 221; landing points for the ACE, Atlantis-2, MainOne and SAT-3/WASC submarine cables providing connectivity from South Africa, numerous western African countries, Europe and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

228,774 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

114 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

19,078,948 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

20 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2021)

over 3,047 m

2

total

9

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

3

total

11

under 914 m

1 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6V

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 29 (2021)

total

35

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

40,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

21,038 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

11

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

43 km gas, 8 km refined products (2017)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Dakar

Railways

narrow gauge

906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

total

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

Roadways

paved

6,126 km (2017) (includes 241 km of expressways)

total

16,665 km (2017)

unpaved

10,539 km (2017)

Waterways

1,000 km (2012) (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance Rivers)

Military - note

Senegalese security forces continue to be engaged in a low-level counterinsurgency campaign in the southern Casamance region against various factions of the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MDFC); while violent incidents have decreased since a tacit cease-fire was reached in 2012, the insurgency, which began in 1982, continued as of mid-2022 and remained one of longest running low-level conflicts in the world, claiming more than 5,000 lives and leaving another 60,000 displaced (2022)

note

note: in August 2022, a representative of the Senegalese Government and a leader of the MFDC signed an agreement in which the MFDC pledged to lay down its arms and work towards a permanent peace

Military and security forces

Senegalese Armed Forces (les Forces Armées Sénégalaises, FAS): Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air du Senegal), National Gendarmerie (includes Territorial and Mobile components); Ministry of Interior: National Police (2022)

note

note: the National Police operates in major cities, while the Gendarmerie primarily operates outside urban areas

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 19,000 active personnel (12,000 Army; 1,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 1,000 Air Force; 5,000 National Gendarmerie) (2022)

Military deployments

750 Gambia (ECOMIG); 970 Mali (MINUSMA); note - Senegal also has about 1,100 police deployed on various UN peacekeeping missions (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAS inventory includes mostly older or second-hand equipment from a variety of countries, including France, South Africa, and Russia/former Soviet Union; in recent years, the FAS has undertaken a modernization program; since 2010, it has received small amounts of newer equipment from more than 10 countries, with France as the leading supplier (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

1.5% of GDP (2017) (approximately $430 million)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.6% of GDP (2018) (approximately $490 million)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.5% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $490 million)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 20 years of age for selective conscript service; 2-year service obligation; women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2022)

Disputes - international

Senegal-Guinea-Bissau: rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance find refuge in Guinea-Bissau

Illicit drugs

major transit point on the cocaine route from South America to Europe; the third-largest cannabis-producing country in West Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

8,400 (2021)

refugees (country of origin)

11,490 (Mauritania) (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Senegal does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts include establishing an anti-trafficking database; planning the third phase of its program to remove vulnerable children, including trafficking victims, from the streets of major cities; launching an emergency campaign to place vulnerable children and forced begging victims in shelters due to COVID 19 pandemic; however, the government rarely proactively investigated or prosecuted traffickers exploiting children in forced begging; authorities did not take action against officials who refused to investigate such cases; officials only applied adequate prison terms in accordance with the 2005 anti-trafficking law to two convicted traffickers; authorities did not identify any adult trafficking victims; government officials continued to have a limited knowledge of trafficking; Senegal was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2020)

trafficking profile

Senegal is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women who are subjected to forced begging, forced labor, and sex trafficking; traffickers subject Senegalese children to forced labor in domestic service, mining, and prostitution; some Senegalese boys from Quranic schools and boys from The Gambia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea are forced to beg; Senegalese women and girls are forced into domestic servitude in neighboring countries, Europe, and the Middle East, while others are sexually exploited in Senegal; women and girls from other West African countries are subjected to domestic servitude and sexual exploitation in Senegal; Ukrainian and Chinese women are exploited for sex trafficking in bars and nightclubs; North Korean workers are forced to work in construction

Terrorist group(s)

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

10.9 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

11.74 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

37.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; periodic droughts; seasonal flooding; overfishing; weak environmental protective laws; wildlife populations threatened by poaching

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to localized shortfalls in cereal production and reduced incomes - according to the latest analysis, about 881,000 people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance between June and August 2022, mostly on account of localized shortfalls in cereal production in 2021 and reduced incomes owing to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic (2022)

Land use

agricultural land

46.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 17.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.1% (2018 est.)

forest

43.8% (2018 est.)

other

9.4% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Senegal is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major rivers (by length in km)

Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, and Mauritania [m] ) - 1,641 km; Gambia (shared with Guinea [s] and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

1.46% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.97 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

2.065 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

58 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

98 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

49.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,454,059 tons (2016 est.)