Senegal’s median age is 18.7 years–among the most youthful 25 countries. One reason for that comparatively young average age is the high fertility rate of 4.36 children per Senegalese woman.
In contrast, Senegal has an average lifespan of 61.7 years which is among the bottom 30 countries with the shortest life expectancies.
Senegal exported US$2.6 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2016. Senegal’s highest-value exports include processed petroleum oil, gold, frozen fish, cement, inorganic chemicals, crude groundnut oil, cigarettes, titanium and zirconium according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Dakar, Senegal: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: House of Slaves (La Maison des Esclaves), IFAN Museum of African Arts, Dakar Grand Mosque and Dakar’s African Renaissance Monument (the continent’s tallest statue)
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Dakar, Senegal:
- Patrice Evra, soccer player/footballer (born May 15, 1981)
- MC Solaar, jazz rapper (born Mar. 5, 1969)
- Ghassan Salhab, writer, director & producer (born May 4, 1958 )
- Abdoulaye Faye, soccer player/footballer (born Feb. 26, 1978)
- Aïssa Maïga, actress (born May 25, 1975)
- Tacko Fall, basketball player (born Dec. 10, 1995)
- Nicolas Vanier, director & writer (born May 5, 1962)
- Papiss Cisse, soccer player/footballer (born Jun. 3, 1985)
- Anna Diop, actress (born Feb. 6, 1988)
- Safi Faye, director & filmmaker (born Nov. 22, 1943)
- Nilperi Sahinkaya, actress (born Feb. 23, 1988)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Dakar resident: Dakarois (male) or Dakaroise (female)
Population: 2,476,400 (Dakar city proper)
Density: 77,388 people per square mile (29,879 per square kilometer)
Population: 3,200,000 (Dakar built-up urban area)
Density: 42,667 people per square mile (16,474 per square kilometer)
Population: 14,320,055 (Senegal)
Density: 193 people per square mile (74 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$36.7 billion as of October 2016 (for Senegal, per the CIA World Factbook)
GDP per person: $2,562
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Dakar were unavailable.
Official currency used in Dakar: West African CFA franc
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on November 28, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Senegal. Accessed on February 3, 2017
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on November 28, 2016
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on November 28, 2016
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on November 28, 2016
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 3, 2017
Official Government Website, Ville de Dakar.org. Accessed on November 28, 2016
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on November 28, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Dakar. Accessed on November 28, 2016
Wikipedia, Senegal. Accessed on February 3, 2017
World Population Review, Population of Cities in Senegal (2016). Accessed on November 28, 2016
Dakar has about 2.5 million residents who live within an area measuring 32 square miles (83 square kilometers).
Dakar’s built-up urban area extends over 75 square miles (194 square kilometers), with an estimated population of 3.2 million people in 2015.
At the country level, Senegal’s land area covers 74,336 square miles (192,530 square kilometers). The national population count was 14.3 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
Population density is higher within Senegal’s capital city proper with an average 77,400 residents per square mile (29,900 per square kilometer).
This density drops to an average 42,700 people per square mile (16,500 per square kilometer) throughout Dakar’s built-up urban area.
For Senegal overall, population density drops to an average 200 inhabitants per square mile (70 per square kilometer).
Senegal gained initial independence from France on April 4, 1960. Citizens of this West African country celebrate Independence Day each April 4.