Senegal statistics — population, economy, trade and telecom

As West Africa’s political and economic landscape continues to shift in 2026, Senegal commands particular attention. The country’s recent offshore oil and gas production, its sustained democratic tradition relative to regional peers, and its ambitions under the Plan Sénégal Émergent make its statistical profile a critical reference point for investors, policymakers, and development analysts tracking the continent’s evolving growth corridors.

Population and Demographics

Senegal’s population is estimated at approximately 18 to 18.5 million people as of 2025, based on UN Population Division projections, with the figure expected to cross 19 million by 2027 given a robust annual growth rate of roughly 2.6 to 2.8 percent. The country remains comparatively young: the median age sits at approximately 19 years, reflecting a demographic structure that presents both a long-run dividend opportunity and a near-term pressure on employment creation and public services. Urbanisation has accelerated steadily, with World Bank estimates placing the urban population share at around 49 to 51 percent — a figure heavily concentrated in the Dakar metropolitan area, which alone accounts for a disproportionate share of economic output and formal employment. Secondary urban centres including Thiès, Ziguinchor, and Saint-Louis are growing but remain far behind the capital in infrastructure density. Population density varies sharply across the country’s 14 regions, with the arid eastern zones sparsely settled compared to the densely populated northwest.

Economic Indicators

Senegal’s GDP is estimated by the IMF at roughly 32 to 35 billion USD in current prices for 2024–2025, a figure that has risen notably as hydrocarbon revenues begin to feed into national accounts following the commencement of production at the Sangomar oil field in mid-2024. GDP per capita stands at approximately 1,700 to 1,900 USD in nominal terms, though purchasing power parity estimates are considerably higher. GDP growth accelerated sharply in 2024, with IMF projections pointing to rates in the range of 7 to 9 percent — among the highest on the continent for that year — driven primarily by oil and gas output rather than broad-based structural transformation. Inflation, which had been elevated in 2022–2023 in line with global commodity pressures, moderated toward the 3 to 5 percent range by 2024–2025, partly anchored by Senegal’s membership in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and its use of the CFA franc (XOF), which maintains a fixed peg to the euro. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, remains a structural concern; official figures have historically understated the challenge given the size of the informal economy, but industry and development reports suggest youth unemployment and underemployment combined may affect upward of 40 percent of young people. Public debt-to-GDP had risen to approximately 75 to 80 percent of GDP by 2024 according to IMF Article IV assessments, a level that prompted fiscal consolidation discussions with international creditors under the new Faye administration.

Trade and External Accounts

Senegal’s export profile has undergone a structural shift with the onset of hydrocarbon production. Crude oil and liquefied natural gas now rank among the top export categories alongside the country’s traditional earners: refined petroleum products, gold, phosphoric acid, phosphates, fish and crustaceans, and groundnut products. India, China, Mali, Switzerland, and France consistently appear among the leading export destinations, though the hydrocarbon trade is reshaping partner rankings. On the import side, Senegal relies heavily on capital goods, food commodities (particularly rice and wheat), refined fuels, and machinery — reflecting both consumer demand and infrastructure investment needs. France, China, Nigeria, and the Netherlands are among the principal import sources. The current account deficit, a persistent feature of Senegal’s external position, was expected to narrow meaningfully in 2024–2025 as hydrocarbon export revenues offset import bills, though World Bank analysts caution that the structural deficit in non-oil trade remains wide. Remittances from the Senegalese diaspora — estimated at roughly 2.5 to 3 billion USD annually — continue to serve as a critical buffer for the current account and household incomes.

Key Sectors

Agriculture remains the backbone of rural livelihoods, employing roughly a third of the workforce, with groundnuts, millet, sorghum, maize, and horticulture as principal activities. The sector’s contribution to GDP is estimated at around 15 to 17 percent, though it is highly sensitive to rainfall variability and climate shocks. The extractive and industrial sector has expanded significantly with oil and gas coming online; phosphate mining and cement production also contribute meaningfully. Services dominate the formal economy, accounting for approximately 55 to 60 percent of GDP, with trade, transport, financial services, and public administration as the main sub-components. Tourism, historically an important foreign exchange earner centred on the Petite Côte and Dakar, had largely recovered from post-pandemic lows by 2024, with industry reports suggesting visitor arrivals approaching or exceeding pre-2020 levels. The fishing sector, both artisanal and industrial, is economically and nutritionally significant but faces sustainability pressures from overfishing and competition from foreign fleets operating under bilateral agreements that have drawn domestic criticism.

Telecommunications and Digital

Senegal’s telecommunications sector is one of the more developed in francophone West Africa. Mobile penetration is estimated at approximately 110 to 120 percent of the population on a SIM-card basis, reflecting multi-SIM usage, according to ITU and GSMA data for 2024. Internet penetration — measured as the share of individuals using the internet — is estimated at roughly 55 to 65 percent, with mobile internet accounting for the vast majority of connections. The three dominant operators are Orange Sénégal (the market leader by subscriber share), Free Sénégal (Iliad Group), and Expresso Sénégal. Mobile money has achieved significant scale: Orange Money is the leading platform, with Wave — a Dakar-headquartered fintech — having disrupted the market through low-fee transfers and rapidly expanding its user base across the WAEMU region. The government’s digital agenda, embedded within broader development planning, targets expanded fibre backbone infrastructure, e-government services, and digital skills development as pillars of economic modernisation.

Sources and Methodology

This dashboard draws on data and projections from the World Bank Open Data platform, IMF World Economic Outlook and Article IV consultation reports, the United Nations Population Division, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), GSMA Intelligence, the African Development Bank (AfDB) African Economic Outlook, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA) statistical publications, and the Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie (ANSD) of Senegal. Where precise figures could not be verified with confidence, ranges and qualifying language (“approximately”, “roughly”, “estimates suggest”) are used deliberately to reflect data uncertainty and revision cycles. All GDP figures are in current USD unless otherwise stated. Readers should consult primary sources for the most current revisions, as national accounts data for Senegal — particularly following the hydrocarbon sector’s integration — are subject to ongoing methodological updates.

For deeper qualitative and geopolitical context behind these numbers, see our Senegal expert briefing. To benchmark Senegal against other African nations, explore all African country statistics on this platform. For broader analysis of growth trends, investment climates, and structural transformation across the continent, visit our African economy pillar.