Senegal at its true size
Senegal covers 196,722 km², number 86 of 194 countries by area. Home to 18,931,966 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 196,722 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,931,966 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 96 per km² |
| Capital | Dakar |
| Local time in Dakar | |
| Time zone | UTC IANA |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) Wikidata |
| Languages | French, Wolof, Balanta, Badyara |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Western Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +221 |
| Codes | SN · SEN · 686 |
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Where Senegal ranks
Among the independent states, in 43 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#69 of 19419 million people#25 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#94 of 19496 people per km²#20 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#119 of 19256% urban#19 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#33 of 1923.77 births per woman#30 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#34 of 192+2.30% a year#24 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#34 of 19229.2 births per 1,000 people#32 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#156 of 1925.5 deaths per 1,000 people#46 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#35 of 19237.7% under 15#31 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#150 of 1923.6% aged 65 and over#22 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#111 of 192−0.7 per 1,000 people#30 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#68 of 1900.69 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#28 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
- Life expectancy#137 of 19268.9 years#11 of 54 in Africa
- Infant mortality#49 of 19128.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#39 of 54 in Africa
- Doctors#166 of 1780.11 doctors per 1,000 people#41 of 51 in Africa
- University enrolment#120 of 14515.3% gross enrolment#11 of 29 in Africa
- Human Development Index#166 of 190an index of 0.530#32 of 54 in Africa
Economy
- GNI per capita#153 of 185$1,780 a person#26 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#135 of 18460% online#16 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#149 of 184$5,463 a person#26 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#21 of 187+6.7% a year#8 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#128 of 176+1.5% a year#37 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#149 of 1782.7% of the labour force#44 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#38 of 14917.9% under $3.00 a day#35 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#60 of 149a Gini index of 36.2#32 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#61 of 17829.6% of jobs#38 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#59 of 17822.5% of jobs#8 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#128 of 17847.9% of jobs#21 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#158 of 1840.1% of GDP#48 of 52 in Africa
- Exports#91 of 16832.5% of GDP#21 of 49 in Africa
- Military spending#84 of 1551.6% of GDP#22 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#71 of 191124 subscriptions per 100 people#15 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#136 of 1850.77 tonnes a person#17 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#55 of 19245% forest#12 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#68 of 19035.4% renewable#38 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#145 of 19282.9% with electricity#13 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#21 of 19141.6 µg/m³#8 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#47 of 19127.5% of the land protected#14 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#54 of 19019.9% of the land arable#15 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#73 of 17616.3% of its available fresh water#17 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#115 of 180686 mm a year#35 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Senegal’s area, lit up on the map →
- Kyrgyzstan0.98×Senegal and Kyrgyzstan are almost exactly the same size.
- Belarus0.95×Senegal is 5% smaller than Belarus.
- Syria1.06×Senegal is 6% larger than Syria.
- Cambodia1.09×Senegal is 9% larger than Cambodia.
- Guyana0.92×Senegal is 8% smaller than Guyana.
- Uruguay1.12×Senegal is 12% larger than Uruguay.
How many times does Senegal fit into…
- Russia: about 87 times
- Canada: about 51 times
- United States: about 50 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Senegal shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Senegal1,050 km
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Senegal. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Senegal
- How big is Senegal?
- Senegal covers 196,722 km², which makes it number 86 of 194 countries by area. About 18,931,966 people live there (2025), 96 per km².
- Is Senegal bigger than Kyrgyzstan?
- Senegal and Kyrgyzstan are almost exactly the same size. Senegal: 196,722 km²; Kyrgyzstan: 199,951 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Senegal?
- Senegal lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Senegal?
- Senegal shares a land border with Mali, Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia.