Senegal: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Senegal wrestlers win gold at ECOWAS wrestling tournament • Mar. 11, 2025, 2:18 AM ET (Reuters)

France begins military base handover to Senegal • Mar. 8, 2025, 1:22 AM ET (Straits Times)

France begins handover of military bases to Senegal • Mar. 7, 2025, 5:47 AM ET (Le Monde)

Senegal retrenches 3000 employees, 514 more to follow • Mar. 4, 2025, 9:41 PM ET (The Point)

Also Known As	République du Sénégal • Republic of Senegal
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Ousmane Sonko²
Capital	Dakar
Population	(2025 est.) 19,179,000
Head Of State	President: Bassirou Diomaye Faye
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one¹ legislative house (National Assembly [165])
Official Language	French
Official Religion	none
Official Name	République du Sénégal (Republic of Senegal)
Total Area (Sq Km)	196,712
Total Area (Sq Mi)	75,951
Monetary Unit	CFA franc (CFAF)
Population Rank	(2023) 69
Population Projection 2030	19,909,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 252.5
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 97.5
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2022) 47.6% • Rural: (2022) 52.4%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2023) 67.7 years • Female: (2023) 70 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 68% • Female: (2021) 45%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 29,421
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 1,660
¹A second legislative house, the Senate, was created in 1999, abolished in 2001, reinstated in 2007, and abolished again in September 2012.²Post of prime minister was abolished in May 2019. The National Assembly voted in December 2021 to reinstate the position, but it was not filled until September 2022.