Population and Demographics of Senegal
Population changed +2.35% in 2024 · median age 19 years
Senegal's demographic profile combines +2.35% annual change with fertility of 3.8, with the 2050 medium scenario above the 2024 total. The longer record adds perspective: the population changed by +85.6% between 2000 and 2024. Looking ahead, 30.36 million is projected for 2050 under the medium scenario, compared with 18.5 million in 2024.
Population Over Time in Senegal
Senegal's population stood at 9.968M in 2000 and 18.502M in 2024, equivalent to a +85.6% change over that period. The UN medium projection places 2050 at 30.365M, about 64.1% above the 2024 reference point. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
The broad age bands show a very young population structure in Senegal. Children under 15 make up 38.18% of the population, compared with 3.62% aged 65 or older, and 58.20% are 15 to 64. The age balance is weighted toward younger residents.
Population by broad age group
Senegal's 2024 population is 49.2% female and 50.8% male in the World Bank series. Males exceed females by 1.6 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Males made up 50.8% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 49.2% females.
What Is Shaping Population Change
Senegal records +2.35% annual population change in 2024 and 3.8 children per woman, within a population where the under-15 and 65-plus shares differ by 34.56 percentage points.
The 24-year population path to 2024 amounts to +85.6% for Senegal, and the 2050 medium path differs from 2024 by +64.1%; interpreting the components of that change requires evidence not supplied by the aggregate series.
2024 estimate for Senegal. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Senegal vs. World
A same-year comparison shows Senegal at +2.35% annual growth, 3.8 children per woman and a median age of 19, against world values of +0.87%, 2.25 and 30.6.
| Indicator | Senegal | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +2.35% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.8 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 19 | 30.6 | 2024 |
For comparability, the growth, fertility and median-age rows are kept to the same 2024 harmonized dataset, which cites UN World Population Prospects 2024 as its demographic source.
Key Takeaways
The 2024 total is 18,501,984 people. Annual change in the same harmonized table is +2.35%.
Age structure is a key feature of the profile: 38.18% are under 15 and 3.62% are 65 or older.
Females make up 49.2% of the 2024 population in the World Bank indicator, with males at 50.8%.
On the medium path, 2050 reaches 30.365M, a +64.1% shift from the 2024 level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Senegal?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Senegal is 18,501,984 people.
Is the population of Senegal growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Senegal's population is growing, with annual change of +2.35%.
What percentage of the population of Senegal is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 3.62% of Senegal's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Senegal in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Senegal's 2050 population at 30,364,954.
What is the fertility rate in Senegal?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Senegal is 3.8 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.