What is the population of Senegal in 2026?
Senegal has a population of 18,931,966 people (2025 estimate), which is 69th in the world and about 0.23% of the global total.
Officially Republic of Senegal
Population 2025
18,931,966
0.23% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+2.30%
+434,867 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
94/km²
192,530 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
19.6 years
Life expectancy 68.9 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Senegal
With nearly 19 million people, Senegal ranks 69th globally and spans 192,530 km² across West Africa. The nation has a notably young population with a median age of 19.6 years and an annual growth rate of 2.3%, reflecting a fertility rate of 3.8 births per woman. Life expectancy stands at 68.9 years, while over half the population lives in urban areas.
Senegal gained independence in 1960 and operates under a presidential system of government. The country shares borders with Mauritania, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and The Gambia. French is the official language, and the West African CFA franc serves as the currency. With a population density of 94 people per km² and a GDP per capita of $1,955, the nation's economy remains developing, though its capital, Dakar, sits on the Atlantic coast.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Dakar
- Continent
- Africa
- ISO codes
- SN · SEN
- Demonym
- Senegalese
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF Fr)
- Government
- Presidential system
- State inception
- 1960
- Time zone
- UTC±00:00
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +221
- Internet TLD
- .sn
- Land neighbours
- 5
Languages
- French
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 38.2%
- Age 15–64
- 58.2%
- Age 65+
- 3.6%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 0 | 3 |
| 95-99 | 53 | 138 |
| 90-94 | 1,086 | 2,010 |
| 85-89 | 8,799 | 10,829 |
| 80-84 | 33,820 | 27,232 |
| 75-79 | 53,172 | 55,178 |
| 70-74 | 93,602 | 102,231 |
| 65-69 | 135,215 | 145,981 |
| 60-64 | 179,929 | 182,532 |
| 55-59 | 235,430 | 231,965 |
| 50-54 | 284,474 | 291,216 |
| 45-49 | 363,483 | 357,849 |
| 40-44 | 445,288 | 444,701 |
| 35-39 | 528,686 | 545,931 |
| 30-34 | 634,235 | 646,112 |
| 25-29 | 779,307 | 776,419 |
| 20-24 | 905,828 | 885,183 |
| 15-19 | 1,059,580 | 989,994 |
| 10-14 | 1,168,255 | 1,075,119 |
| 5-9 | 1,216,637 | 1,110,393 |
| 0-4 | 1,278,275 | 1,215,817 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| 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 |
How Senegal Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Senegal | 18.9M |
Major Cities in Senegal
1 metropolitan area in our city dataset.
- Dakar3.94M · +3.15%
Countries Bordering Senegal
5 land borders.
- Gambia2.82M · +2.23%
- Guinea15.1M · +2.31%
- Guinea-Bissau2.25M · +2.16%
- Mali25.2M · +2.90%
- Mauritania5.32M · +2.78%
Senegal Population FAQ
Is the population of Senegal growing or shrinking?
Senegal's population is growing at +2.30% per year, a change of roughly 434,867 people annually.
What is the capital of Senegal?
The capital of Senegal is Dakar.
What is the largest city in Senegal?
Dakar is the largest metropolitan area in Senegal, with about 3.94M people.
How densely populated is Senegal?
Senegal has 94/km² across 192,530 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Senegal?
Life expectancy at birth in Senegal is 68.9 years (2024).
What is the median age in Senegal?
The median age in Senegal is 19.6 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Senegal in?
Senegal is in Africa.