Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Senegal
Senegal: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 96.1 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
96.1 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
111th
of 216 countries
All-time high
96.1 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
17.85 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Senegal, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Senegal is 96.1 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Senegal peaked at 96.1 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.85 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Senegal 111th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Senegal, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17.85 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 18.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 18.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 19.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1965 | 20 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 20.59 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 21.21 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 21.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 22.52 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 23.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 23.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 24.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 25.37 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 26.12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 26.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 27.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 28.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 28.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 29.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 30.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 31.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 31.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 32.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 33.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 34.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 35.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 36.78 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 37.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 38.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 40.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 41.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 42.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 43.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 44.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 45.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 47.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 48.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 49.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 50.54 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 51.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 53.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 54.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 55.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 57.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 58.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 59.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 61.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 62.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 64.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 65.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 67.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 69.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 71.21 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 73.51 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 75.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 78.09 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 80.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 82.66 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 84.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 87.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 89.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 91.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 93.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 96.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 96.1 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 96.1 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.08 people per sq. km of land area | 17.85 people per sq. km of land area | 22.52 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 26.44 people per sq. km of land area | 23.2 people per sq. km of land area | 29.62 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.41 people per sq. km of land area | 30.36 people per sq. km of land area | 38.97 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.34 people per sq. km of land area | 40.1 people per sq. km of land area | 50.54 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.78 people per sq. km of land area | 51.78 people per sq. km of land area | 64.08 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.87 people per sq. km of land area | 65.63 people per sq. km of land area | 84.94 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.66 people per sq. km of land area | 87.2 people per sq. km of land area | 96.1 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 108 Kenya 97.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 109 Northern Mariana Islands 96.89 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 110 Honduras 96.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 112 East Timor 94.19 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 113 Dominica 88.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 114 Brunei 87.8 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Senegal
- Population in the largest city 34.7% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 41.65 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1933 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.66 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 3.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 17.81 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.66 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 50.89 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Senegal?
- Population density in Senegal was 96.1 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 96.1 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.85 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Senegal rank for population density?
- Senegal ranks 111th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.