Senegal — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Senegal: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Senegal is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. It covers 196,722 sq km. 20 August 1960 (full independence after federation with Mali is dissolved). Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind.
| Capital | Dakar |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,847,519 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $83.183 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 6.9% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 0.8% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 47.8% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $7.001 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $14.916 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 19.4 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 49.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 4 April 1960 (from France); 20 August 1960 (full independence after federation with Mali is dissolved) |
| Languages | French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka, Serer, Soninke |
Senegal’s GDP is $83.183 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $32.267 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 6.9% (2024 est.). See where Senegal ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A neutral quarter in the truest sense: nothing happened that altered the country's course or standing.
The score records absence of momentum honestly — the deeper currents continue, unmoved by the calendar.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 0.8%; unemployment near 3.0% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: a current-account deficit of $6 billion (18.8% of GDP) — living beyond its means; a median age of 19 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom
Phosphates, Iron ore.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 67.9% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 78.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 9.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 3.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 8.303 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 44.0 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 8.1 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 2,433 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 72.2%, Wind 9.2%, Solar 7.3%, Coal 5.8%, Hydro 3.9%, Gas 0.2% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 21.7% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 535.4 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $7.001 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $14.916 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $7.9 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye — President. President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (since 2 April 2024)
Senegal maintains 50 embassies and 12 consulates abroad, hosts 79 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 50 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 12 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 79 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 531 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 20 (registration prefix 6V) |
| Major seaports | Dakar, Karabane, Lyndiane, M'bao Oil Terminal, Rufisque, St. Louis |
| Railways | 906 km |
| Pipelines | 43 km gas, 8 km refined products (2017) |
Major airports
Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) — Dakar; Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (DKR) — Dakar; Cap Skirring Airport (CSK) — Cap Skirring; Ziguinchor Airport (ZIG) — Ziguinchor.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Senegal.
Historical timeline of Senegal
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Senegal — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Senegal's power score?
Senegal has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.