Senegal Rate of Natural Increase

Senegal’s rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between its crude birth rate and crude death rate—remains relatively high, reflecting the country’s youthful population and ongoing demographic transition. As of 2023, Senegal’s RNI hovers around 2.6% per year, indicating a robust population growth driven by high birth rates (approximately 33 births per 1,000 population) and declining but still moderate death rates (around 6 per 1,000). Compared to its neighbors, Senegal’s RNI is similar to that of Mali and The Gambia, both of which also experience high birth rates and relatively low death rates, resulting in RNIs above 2.5%. In contrast, Mauritania’s RNI is slightly lower, around 2.4%, while Guinea and Guinea-Bissau exhibit similar or marginally lower rates, reflecting subtle differences in fertility and mortality trends. Overall, Senegal and its neighboring countries share high rates of natural increase, characteristic of West African nations in the earlier stages of demographic transition, though variations exist due to differences in health care, fertility preferences, and socio-economic factors.

YearRate of Natural IncreasePopulation
19803.2625,611,269
19853.3096,378,233
19903.2747,347,202
19953.0848,376,458
20002.9149,463,093
20053.1810,871,798
20103.24812,667,027
20153.06414,753,625
20202.76417,005,241
20242.52618,847,519
20252.46919,311,233
20262.41419,775,563
20302.19421,631,307
20351.96623,938,019
20401.77226,222,080
20451.59328,464,075
20501.42730,635,314
20551.26932,708,766
20601.13234,668,560
20651.01336,513,564
20700.89938,237,072
20750.79839,830,428
20800.69541,280,112
20850.5942,562,674
20900.49343,666,682
20950.39544,581,465
21000.30945,306,181

Data from US Census International Database