Demographic features of the population of Senegal include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
About 42% of Senegal's population is rural. In rural areas, population density varies from about 77 per square kilometer (200/mile²) in the west-central region to 2 per square kilometer (5/mile²) in the arid eastern section. The average population density for the country is . French is the official language but is used regularly only by the literate minority. Almost all Senegalese speak an indigenous language, of which Wolof has the largest usage. Many Senegalese live in Europe, particularly in France, Italy and Spain.
Population
According to the 2018 revision of the World Population Review the total population was 16,302,789 in May 2018, compared to only 2,416,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2017 was 41.5%, between 15 and 54 years of age was 31.1%, while 55 years or older was 6.9%.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 19502,416,00041.655.03.4 19552,684,00041.555.62.9 19603,048,00041.955.52.6 19653,505,00043.054.62.4 19704,096,00044.353.52.3 19754,786,00045.352.52.2 19805,414,00047.250.52.2 19856,232,00047.750.02.3 19907,242,00047.250.42.4 19958,369,00046.251.32.5 20009,506,00045.452.12.5 200510,872,00044.453.12.5 201012,434,00043.753.92.4 201714,668,52241.555.52.9
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (Estimates 1.VII.2020) (Data refer to national projections.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 8 456 486 8 504 040 16 960 525 100 0–4 1 373 744 1 294 257 2 668 002 15.73 5–9 1 219 736 1 146 769 2 366 505 13.95 10–14 1 066 780 1 005 257 2 072 037 12.22 15–19 919 100 893 599 1 812 700 10.69 20–24 762 949 805 877 1 568 826 9.25 25–29 640 669 694 125 1 334 794 7.87 30–34 527 920 562 852 1 090 772 6.43 35–39 433 152 466 088 899 240 5.30 40–44 335 430 374 282 709 711 4.18 45–49 278 289 309 644 587 933 3.47 50–54 244 474 259 784 504 259 2.97 55–59 200 080 208 825 408 905 3.41 60–64 149 832 154 155 303 986 1.79 65–69 112 949 116 334 229 284 1.35 70–74 80 355 84 366 164 721 0.97 75-79 52 036 58 255 110 292 0.65 80+ 58 988 69 570 128 558 0.76Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 3 660 260 3 446 283 7 106 543 41.90 15–64 4 491 898 4 729 232 9 221 130 54.37 65+ 304 328 328 525 632 853 3.73
Vital statistics Registration of vital events in Senegal is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 births)Life expectancy (in years)19502,496,065128,93570,14958,78651.728.123.56.79148.636.4319512,561,152131,81371,37360,44051.527.923.66.79146.436.9219522,628,508134,81272,65862,15451.327.723.76.79144.437.3619532,698,414137,96073,51964,44151.227.323.96.80142.337.8119542,771,247141,38474,40666,97851.126.924.26.82140.338.2019552,847,262144,93575,13469,80151.026.424.56.83138.438.6319562,926,572148,59375,94072,65350.826.024.96.86136.739.0419573,008,862151,95176,95175,00050.625.625.06.89135.339.3619583,093,941155,90378,33077,57350.525.325.16.92134.339.5519593,182,056160,36879,82080,54850.525.125.36.96133.739.7419603,273,177164,73581,54683,18950.424.925.47.00133.339.8819613,367,082169,34283,61385,72950.424.925.57.04133.339.9219623,463,524173,82686,01787,80950.324.925.47.08133.439.8619633,562,469178,10188,19089,91150.124.825.37.12133.739.8819643,664,599182,55290,46592,08749.924.725.27.16133.939.8919653,770,874187,66392,99694,66749.824.725.17.19134.039.8419663,881,994192,91795,10597,81249.824.525.27.22133.939.9619673,997,869198,28797,316100,97149.724.425.37.24133.540.0819684,117,659203,61899,372104,24649.524.225.47.25132.940.2719694,240,859209,482101,478108,00449.524.025.57.26132.040.4619704,367,744215,753103,029112,72449.523.625.97.26130.740.8319714,498,616222,237104,511117,72649.523.326.27.26128.941.2219724,633,452228,423105,472122,95149.422.826.67.26126.641.7519734,772,039234,397105,414128,98349.222.127.17.26124.042.5619744,911,421240,854105,802135,05249.021.527.57.25121.043.2119755,047,922247,687105,209142,47849.020.828.27.25117.544.1019765,181,195254,743104,054150,68949.120.029.07.26113.745.1019775,308,297260,572102,502158,07048.919.229.77.27109.746.1519785,433,225264,864100,615164,24948.618.530.17.28105.947.2019795,564,474268,81398,791170,02248.217.730.57.29102.348.2019805,703,869273,84397,249176,59447.917.030.97.2999.349.1419815,852,029279,09396,624182,46947.616.531.17.2896.749.8519826,008,392284,05996,003188,05647.215.931.27.2594.450.5619836,171,874288,73295,783192,94946.715.531.27.1992.151.1519846,341,801292,55994,444198,11546.014.931.27.1189.552.0219856,520,705296,68393,381203,30245.414.331.17.0186.752.7619866,710,885299,03890,601208,43744.513.531.06.9083.153.9319876,909,837303,19488,930214,26443.812.931.06.7979.854.8219887,113,636304,42886,919217,50942.812.230.56.5876.855.7719897,321,832309,50586,161223,34442.211.830.56.4874.556.4419907,536,001316,62086,250230,37042.011.430.56.4072.956.9519917,754,289320,60187,599233,00241.311.330.06.2772.157.1419927,974,514325,94689,871236,07540.811.329.66.1571.957.1119938,196,551332,14792,654239,49340.511.329.26.0572.157.0019948,416,997335,89195,143240,74839.811.328.65.9272.556.9619958,632,681342,32497,963244,36139.611.328.35.8273.056.8419968,843,423348,436101,013247,42339.311.427.95.7273.456.6719979,051,539356,266103,620252,64639.311.427.85.6473.256.5919989,261,526363,901106,679257,22239.211.527.75.5872.656.4219999,478,564374,758108,241266,51739.411.428.05.5771.456.6120009,704,287381,017108,766272,25139.211.228.05.5069.256.9420019,938,027387,416107,728279,68838.910.828.15.4166.457.56200210,180,950394,576106,349288,22738.710.428.25.3163.158.23200310,434,504403,780103,869299,91138.69.928.75.2559.559.12200410,698,691411,222101,255309,96738.49.428.95.1855.960.03200510,974,057422,54798,881323,66638.49.029.45.1952.760.92200611,263,387436,40696,823339,58338.78.630.15.2049.561.75200711,563,869442,23594,763347,47238.28.230.05.1146.862.54200811,872,929450,75893,168357,59037.97.830.15.0544.363.24200912,195,029465,65891,835373,82338.17.530.65.0842.163.92201012,530,121473,81990,265383,55437.77.230.65.0640.064.62201112,875,880483,82488,945394,87937.56.930.65.0438.265.26201213,231,833493,25089,885403,36537.26.830.45.0136.465.46201313,595,566501,50788,577412,93036.86.530.34.9634.766.07201413,970,308508,20388,400419,80336.36.330.04.9133.166.45201514,356,181508,14787,797420,35035.46.129.24.7831.566.88201614,751,356511,96086,228425,73234.75.828.84.6829.967.50201715,157,793519,21286,790432,42234.25.728.54.6228.567.75201815,574,909529,31486,967442,34734.05.628.44.5827.268.10201916,353,000 497,000 98,000 399,00030.46.024.44.1027.167.7202016,789,000503,000 102,000 401,00029.96.123.94.0026.067.5202117,221,000512,000109,000403,00029.76.123.43.9425.166.9202217,651,000520,000104,000416,00029.55.926.73.8625.167.8202318,078,000532,000101,000431,00029.45.623.83.8224.168.7202429.25.523.73.77202528.95.423.53.71
Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Year Total Urban Rural 1980-82 7.4 6.3 7.9 1983-85 6.6 5.4 7.1 1992-93 40.8 6.03 (5.1) 37.4 5.06 (3.8) 42.9 6.74 (5.9) 1997 37 5.67 (4.6) 31 4.29 (3.2) 42 6.74 (5.6) 1999 36 5.2 30 3.9 40 6.1 2005 39.3 5.3 (4.5) 33.4 4.1 (3.3) 44.0 6.4 (5.7) 2008–2009 37.3 4.9 33.4 4.0 40.1 5.8 2010–2011 37.4 5.0 (3.2) 32.3 3.9 (2.6) 41.6 6.0 (3.8) 2012–2013 38.6 5.3 32.9 4.1 42.7 6.3 2014 37.6 5.0 (3.7) 33.4 4.0 (3.1) 41.6 6.3 (4.4) 2015 35.7 4.9 (4.3) 28.1 3.5 (3.1) 41.5 6.1 (5.4) 2016 34.6 4.7 (4.2) 27.2 3.5 (3.1) 40.8 5.9 (5.2) 2017 33.7 4.6 (4.0) 27.1 3.4 (3.0) 39.2 5.9 (5.1) 2018 32.7 4.4 (4.0) 27.2 3.2 (3.0) 37.0 5.5 (5.0) 2019 34.0 4.7 29.2 3.8 37.8 5.6 2020–2021 28.7 3.9 24.7 3.1 31.8 4.7 2023 29.6 4.0 (3.6) 26.0 3.3 (2.9) 32.7 4.7 (4.2)
Fertility data by region (DHS Program): RegionTFR(2005)TFR(2010/11)TFR(2017)TFR(2023)Dakar3.73.73.03.1Thiès5.44.84.63.9Diourbel6.25.25.84.1Kaolack5.96.05.24.3Kaffrine6.56.26.0Louga5.64.85.14.0Fatick6.86.35.24.6Ziguinchor5.04.84.63.7Sédhiou6.96.45.5Kolda6.36.85.54.9Matam3.75.45.34.5Saint-Louis5.35.04.73.6Kédougou6.16.45.2Tambacounda6.26.05.84.4
Life expectancy PeriodLife expectancy in Years1950–195535.471955–1960 37.491960–1965 38.621965–1970 38.411970–1975 40.911975–1980 46.501980–1985 51.271985–1990 56.051990–1995 57.591995–2000 57.252000–2005 58.932005–2010 62.412010–2015 65.71
Ethnic groups
Wolof 33.1%, Pular 30.2%, Serer 17%, Mandinka 5.6%, Jola 4.5%, Soninke 1.4%, Other 8.3% (2017)
+ Population of Senegal according to ethnic group in 1976 and 1988 Ethnicgroup census 1976 Rapport National de Présentation du Recensement Général de la Population 1976 (RGP I) census 1988 Number % Number % Wolof2,001,416 2,890,402 Serer716,919 1,009,921 Peul605,584 978,366 Toucouleur528,490 631,892 Diola265,353 357,672 Mandingue179,050 245,651 Soce42,751 Sarakhole84,102 113,184 Bambara65,096 91,071 Maure59,784 67,726 Mandjaag41,628 66,605 Lebou94,837 56,758 Balant33,915 54,398 Malinke202,472 28,643 Mancagne23,180 Laobe18,250 Bassari6,195 Khassonke1,752 Coniagui1,119 Fula108 Other87,773 Total 4,879,103 6,773,417
Languages
French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Hassaniya Arabic, Serer, Jola, Mandinka, Soninke, Arabic
Religion
The religious beliefs of the 2016 population of Senegal are: Muslim 96.1% (mostly Sunni), Christian 3.6% (mostly Roman Catholic), animist 0.3%.
Emigration Senegal was historically a destination country for neighboring economic migrants, but in recent decades West African migrants more often use Senegal as a transit point to North Africa, or as a stop before continuing illegally onward to Europe. The country also has been host to several thousand black Mauritanian refugees since they were expelled from Mauritania during the 1989 border conflict with Senegal. The country's economic crisis in the 1970s stimulated emigration; departures accelerated from the 1990s. Destinations shifted from neighboring countries to Libya and Mauritania, because of their booming oil industries, and to France, Italy and Spain.
See also Senegal
Notes
References
External links
pt:Senegal#Demografia