
Population growth in Senegal
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Senegal increased from 3.21 million to 16.88 million people. This is a growth of 426.3 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Senegal was recorded in 1985 with 3.09 percent. The smallest increase in 2015 with 1.28 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Senegal rose by 1.39 years from 2012 to 2021 from 18.01 to 19.40 years (median value).
Around 49 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.6 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Senegal
Population development in Senegal since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Senegal | Change Senegal | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 3.30 M | 2.76 % | 50.3 ‰ | 25.8 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 3.39 M | 2.78 % | 50.3 ‰ | 25.7 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 3.48 M | 2.80 % | 50.3 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 3.58 M | 2.83 % | 50.2 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 3.68 M | 2.87 % | 50.2 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 3.79 M | 2.89 % | 50.2 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 3.90 M | 2.91 % | 50.1 ‰ | 25.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 4.01 M | 2.94 % | 50.1 ‰ | 25.4 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 4.13 M | 2.97 % | 50.0 ‰ | 25.1 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 4.26 M | 3.00 % | 49.9 ‰ | 24.7 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 4.39 M | 3.05 % | 49.8 ‰ | 24.1 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 4.52 M | 3.08 % | 49.7 ‰ | 23.5 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 4.66 M | 3.05 % | 49.5 ‰ | 22.7 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 4.80 M | 2.93 % | 49.3 ‰ | 21.9 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 4.93 M | 2.77 % | 49.2 ‰ | 21.0 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 5.06 M | 2.59 % | 49.0 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 5.18 M | 2.45 % | 48.8 ‰ | 19.2 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 5.31 M | 2.42 % | 48.7 ‰ | 18.4 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 5.44 M | 2.49 % | 48.5 ‰ | 17.6 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 5.58 M | 2.65 % | 48.3 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 5.74 M | 2.82 % | 48.1 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 5.91 M | 2.95 % | 47.7 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 6.09 M | 3.04 % | 47.2 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 6.28 M | 3.08 % | 46.6 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 6.47 M | 3.09 % | 45.9 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 6.67 M | 3.08 % | 45.2 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 6.88 M | 3.07 % | 44.5 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 7.09 M | 3.07 % | 43.8 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 7.30 M | 3.06 % | 43.2 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 7.53 M | 3.05 % | 42.7 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 7.76 M | 3.05 % | 42.2 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 7.99 M | 3.02 % | 41.8 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 8.23 M | 2.96 % | 41.5 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 8.46 M | 2.85 % | 41.1 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 8.69 M | 2.71 % | 40.8 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 8.91 M | 2.56 % | 40.4 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 9.13 M | 2.45 % | 40.1 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 9.35 M | 2.38 % | 39.8 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 9.57 M | 2.36 % | 39.5 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 9.80 M | 2.39 % | 39.2 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 10.04 M | 2.43 % | 39.0 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 10.28 M | 2.47 % | 38.8 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 10.54 M | 2.51 % | 38.7 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 10.81 M | 2.55 % | 38.6 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 11.09 M | 2.59 % | 38.6 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 11.38 M | 2.63 % | 38.6 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 11.69 M | 2.68 % | 38.6 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 12.00 M | 2.72 % | 38.5 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 12.34 M | 2.75 % | 38.4 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 12.68 M | 2.78 % | 38.3 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 13.03 M | 2.81 % | 38.1 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 13.40 M | 2.82 % | 37.8 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 13.78 M | 2.84 % | 37.4 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 14.17 M | 2.85 % | 36.3 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 14.36 M | 1.28 % | 35.4 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 14.75 M | 2.75 % | 34.7 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 15.16 M | 2.76 % | 34.2 ‰ | 5.7 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 15.57 M | 2.75 % | 34.0 ‰ | 5.6 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 16.00 M | 2.73 % | 33.5 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 16.44 M | 2.72 % | 33.0 ‰ | 5.6 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 16.88 M | 2.68 % | 32.6 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Senegal
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Senegal increased by about 441,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 5.9 per 1,000 people (~ 97,300 deaths) and the birth rate was 32.6 per 1,000 people (~ 535,000 births). As a result, around 3,300 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 89,568 in Senegal. The number of births was 523,057 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate