SenegalDownload light PDF version

Overview

Senegal has the longest history of political stability in the region. Although the Casamance rebellion has made the south of the country structurally unstable for decades, the country has not suffered from military rule or civil war since it gained independence in 1960. Thanks to this stable environment, Senegal (which is relatively poor in natural resources) was able to develop both its tourism sector and its educational system; its universities attract students from across Africa. Within the framework of the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS), Senegal helped advance ambitious hydro-agricultural programmes in collaboration with neighbouring Mali and Mauritania.

For decades, agricultural policies have failed to reduce the country’s high dependence on food imports, particularly rice. The sharp increase in food prices in 2007, however, sparked ambitious measures that now seem to be paying off. After Abidjan, Dakar hosts the second most important airport for regional travel in West Africa, and the new Blaise Diagne international airport is now under construction. The port of Dakar also plays an important role in the region, particularly for landlocked Mali. A member of CILSS, ECOWAS and UEMOA, Senegal has a long history of regional co-operation. Despite the political failure of the Senegambia Confederation (1982-1989), co-operation between these two countries, reinforced by the shared Wolof language and culture, remains strong.  Senegal supported Guinea’s application for membership to the OMVS in 2006. Guinea, which possesses the majority of the water resources of the Senegal River Basin, joined the OMVS in March of that same year.

Institutional Framework

Government type: Republic
Constitution:

adopted 7 January 2001; amended many times

Legal system:

civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court

Administrative division

14 regions: Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor

Executive branch:
  • Chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
  • Head of government: Prime Minister Soulayemane Ndene NDIAYE (since 1 May 2009)
  • Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate, reinstituted in 2007, (100 seats; 35 members indirectly elected and 65 members appointed by the president) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members elected by direct popular vote and 60 elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)
Judical branch:
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals
Political parties:
  • African Party of Independence;
  • Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar ;
  • Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP ;
  • And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS ;
  • Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT ;
  • Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ;
  • Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC ;
  • Independence and Labor Party or PIT;
  • Jef-Jel ; National Democratic Rally or RND;
  • People's Labor Party or PTP ;
  • Reform Party or PR ; Rewmi Party ;
  • Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS ;
  • Socialist Party or PS ; SOPI Coalition;
  • Union for Democratic Renewal or URD
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last held on 25 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results:
Abdoulaye WADE reelected president; percent of vote - Abdoulaye WADE 55.9%, Idrissa SECK 14.9%, Ousmane Tanor DIENG 13.6%, Moustapha NIASSE 5.9%, other 9.7%
Central bank: Central Bank of West AFrican States (BCEAO)
Military branches:

Senegalese Armed Forces : Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Sénégalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armée de l'Air du Sénégal) (2009)

Military age and obligations: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Membership in regional organisations:

AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, OMVS, OMVG, WADB, Cen-sad

Source: CIA Factbook, Country Profile Sengal

Regional Indicators

Land boundaries:

2 640 km

Border countries:

The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Coastline:

531 km

Airports: 20 including 10 with paved runways
Railways: 906 km
Roadways:

13 576 km; paved: 3 972 km; unpaved: 9 604 km (2003)

Waterways: 1 000 km (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2010)
Ports and terminals: Dakar

Demographic Trends

  • Population 2010: 12 434 000
  • Projection 2050: 26 607 000
  • Population < 15 years: 5 421 224 (=43.6% *12 434 000)
  • Population density:  63/ sq. km
  • Urban agglomeration: Dakar (2 863 000, 22.3%)
  • Annual Growth: 2.69% (2005-2010) > 2.60
  • Woman fertility (children per women): 5.03 (2005-2010)> 4.61
  • Median age: 17.8
  • Dependency ratio: 86

 

Migration and Mobility

  • Number of emigrants (2010): 636 200 =4.9% of pop
  • Number of immigrants (2010): 210 100 = 1.6% of pop
  • Top destination countries: The Gambia, France, Italy, Mauritania, Spain, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, the United States, Mali, Guinea-Bissau
  • Refugees within country: 33 200 (2009)

 

 

Economic Indicators

  • GDP total:  USD 22 009 million
  • GDP per capita: USD 1711
  • Annual Growth: 2.2%
  • Average growth (2002-10): 3.9%
  • Currency: CFA Franc
  • Inflation Rate:  -1%
  • Main Exports: fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton
  • Main Export partners: Mali 19.3%, Switzerland 8.3%, India 8.2%, France 5.8%, UK 4.2% (2009)
  • Main Imports: food and beverages, capital goods, fuels
  • Main import partners: France 20%, Nigeria 9.2%, China 9%, Thailand 5.5%, Spain 4.3% (2009)
  • Trade balance: USD -2 462 million
  • Net Foreign Direct Investments: USD 208 million
  • Estimated Diaspora Remittances 2009: 9.1% of GDP
  • = USD 1 191 million
  • = USD 95.78 per capita
  • ODA received: USD 1 018 million
  • =as % of GDP: 4.62%
  • =per capita: USD 81.87
  • Category:  Lower middle income
  • Public Spending on:
  • •    Education as a percentage of total government expenditure (2000-2007): 26.3%
  • •    Health as a percentage of total government expenditure (WHO, 2009): 6.7%
  • •    Military: 208 million USD =1.6% of GDP (2009)
  • External Debt: 3775 million USD (2009)
  • Debt service (as % of Exports 2010e): 5.4%
  • Public finance (% of GDP 2009):
  • •    Revenue and grants: 21.7%
  • •    Expenditures and net lending: 26.8%
  • •    Overall balance:-4.9
  • IMF Adjustment Programme: yes
  • Corruption Perception Index (xx/10): 2.9 (105/178)
  • Index of Economic Freedom (xx/100): 55.7 (121/179)
  • WB Doing Business Index: 152/183
  • Ibrahim African Governance index: 66.1

 

Food Security

Global Hunger Index (IFPRI, 2011): 13.6
Food supply (kcal per capita/day) 2 318
Number of people undernourished:
2 million

:Percentage of people undernourished:

 17%
Child malnutrition, underweight: 17%
Child malnutrition, stunting: 16%

Land use

Land area (1 000 ha): 19 253
Agricultural land area (1 000 ha):
9 505

Arable land (1 000 ha):

 3 500
Permanent crops (1 000 ha): 54
Pastures (1 000 ha): 5 600
Irrigated land (1 000 ha): 120
Share in total water use by
  • agriculture: 93%
  • industry: 2.6%
  • domestic use: 4.4%
Forest area (1000 ha): 8 473

Source: FAOStat and FAO Country Profile

Social Indicators

Religion & Ethnicity

  • Ethnic Groups : Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
  • Major Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%

Health

 

  • Life Expectancy: 55.4 (2005-2010)
  • Under-five Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births) (2008): 108
  • Number of physicians (for 100 000 people) (2004): 5.2
  • Hospital Beds (for 10 000 people): 1 (2007)
  • Estimated HIV prevalence (2007): 1%

 

Education:

  • Adult literacy rate: (% age 15 and above): 41,89% (2006)
  • Youth Literacy Rate: 50,8 (2006)
  • Net Primary Enrolment Ratio: 1618 303 (2008)
  • Net Secondary Enrolment Ration: 592 831 (2008)
  • Tertiary Students: N.A
  • University attendance Ration: 8% (2008)

ICT & Media:

 

  • Internet Access (per 100 inhabitants) 2009: 14.5
  • Internet domain: .sn
  • International dialing code: 221
  • Mobile line (per 100 inhabitants) 2009: 55.06
  • Main telephone line (per 100 inhabitants) 2009: 2.22

Basic Services

  • Access to electricity 2007: kWh 2237 millions
  • Water supply coverage 2008: 69% (urban 92%, rural 52%)
  • Sanitation coverage2008: 51% (urban 64%, rural 38%)