Rural population in Senegal
Senegal: Rural population was 49.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
49.9%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
65th
of 214 countries
All-time high
70.0%
in 1970
All-time low
49.9%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Senegal, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Senegal stood at 49.9%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Senegal peaked at 70.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 49.9%, in 2024.
Senegal ranks 65th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 70.0% | — |
| 1971 | 69.3% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 68.5% | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 67.8% | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 67.1% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 66.3% | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 65.6% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 65.3% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 64.9% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 64.6% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 64.2% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 63.5% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 63.2% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 62.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 62.5% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 62.1% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 61.7% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 61.4% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 61.2% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 61.1% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 61.0% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 60.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 60.7% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 60.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 60.4% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 60.3% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 60.1% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 60.0% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 59.8% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 59.7% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 59.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 59.4% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 59.1% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 58.7% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 58.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 57.9% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 57.5% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 57.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 56.6% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 56.2% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 55.8% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 55.4% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 55.0% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 54.6% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 53.7% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 53.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 52.8% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 52.3% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 51.9% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 51.4% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 50.9% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 50.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 49.9% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 66.9% | 64.6% | 70.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.7% | 61.2% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.5% | 59.8% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.4% | 56.6% | 59.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.3% | 52.3% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.9% | 49.9% | 51.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 62 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 51.9% compare
- 63 Somalia 51.5% compare
- 64 Philippines 51.4% compare
- 66 British Virgin Islands 49.8% compare
- 67 Uzbekistan 49.4% compare
- 68 Benin 49.3% compare
More population data for Senegal
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 32,563 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.44 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4124 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.346 (2100)
- Population density 244.19 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.10 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.346 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2.44 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 11,836 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Senegal?
- Rural population in Senegal was 49.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 70.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.9% in 2024.
- How does Senegal rank for rural population?
- Senegal ranks 65th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release