What is the population of Dakar?
Dakar's metropolitan area has about 3,938,000 people, making it the 93rd largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
In Senegal
Metro population
3,938,000
0.047% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+3.15%
About 340 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
7,200/km²
547 km² metro area
City proper
2,646,503
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Dakar
Dakar's city-proper population of 2,646,503 makes it Senegal's largest urban center, with the metropolitan area reaching 3,938,000 residents. The city experiences rapid growth at 3.2% annually, driven by a dense concentration of 7,200 people per km² across its low-lying terrain at just 12 m elevation. Two major airports—Léopold Sédar Senghor International and Blaise Diagne International—serve the city's transportation needs.
Current mayor Barthélémy Dias leads municipal administration in this coastal West African city. The combination of high density and substantial population growth presents ongoing development pressures typical of rapidly expanding urban centers in the region.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Léopold Sédar Senghor International AirportDKR
7 km from the city centre
- Blaise Diagne International AirportDSS
40 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Dakar | 3.94M |
Population Trend in Senegal
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,555,369 |
| 1960 | 3,340,907 |
| 1970 | 4,466,328 |
| 1980 | 5,845,638 |
| 1990 | 7,720,523 |
| 2000 | 9,968,260 |
| 2010 | 12,635,413 |
| 2020 | 16,789,219 |
| 2030 | 21,163,192 |
| 2040 | 25,797,510 |
| 2050 | 30,364,954 |
| 2060 | 34,822,200 |
| 2070 | 38,922,604 |
| 2080 | 42,337,037 |
| 2090 | 45,032,516 |
| 2100 | 47,014,186 |
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
Dakar Population FAQ
What is the difference between Dakar's city and metro population?
About 2,646,503 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 3,938,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Dakar growing or shrinking?
Dakar is growing at +3.15% a year.
What share of Senegal's population lives in Dakar?
Dakar's metro area holds about 20.8% of Senegal's total population.
How densely populated is Dakar?
Dakar has roughly 7,200 people per km² across a metro area of about 547 km².
Which airports serve Dakar?
The nearest major airports are Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (DKR), Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS).
Which country is Dakar in?
Dakar is in Senegal, in Africa.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%