Senegal (Republic of Senegal)

Senegal Republic of Senegal
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	124th best
Capital	Dakar
Land Area	192 530km21
Location	Africa
Population	15.9m2
Life Expectancy	67.09yrs (2017)3
GNI	$3 344 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SN, SEN, 6865
Internet Domain	.sn6
Currency	Franc (XOF)7
Telephone	+2218

1. Overview
2. Senegal National and Social Development
3. Senegal's Demographics and Migration
4. Senegal's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Senegal's Health
6. Senegal's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Senegal's Modernity and Learning
8. Senegal's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Skimming any holiday brochure about Senegal, you´ll sooner or later stumble across the term teranga, meaning `hospitality´. Senegal takes great pride in being the `Land of Teranga´. Senegal may be one of West Africa´s most stable countries, but stability equates to anything but dullness: the capital, Dakar, is a dizzying, street-hustler-rich introduction to the country. Perched on the tip of a peninsula, elegance meets chaos, noise, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife, while nearby Île de Gorée and the beaches of Yoff and N´Gor tap to slow, lazy beats.

In northern Senegal, the enigmatic capital of Saint-Louis, a Unesco World Heritage site, tempts with colonial architecture and proximity to luscious national parks. Along the Petite Côte and Cap Skiring, wide strips of beaches beckon and the broad deltas of the Casamance River reveal hundreds of bird species, from the gleaming wings of tiny kingfishers to the proud poise of pink flamingos.Whether you want to mingle with the trendsetters of urban Africa or be alone with your thoughts and the sounds of nature, you´ll find your place in Senegal.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Senegal National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
167=	Uganda	0.525
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
158	Cameroon	$3 621
159	Sudan	$3 575
160	Benin	$3 409
161	Senegal	$3 344
162	Zambia	$3 218
163	Comoros	$3 142
164	Vanuatu	$3 085
165	Congo, (Brazzaville)	$2 889
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	31.2
3	Switzerland	32.9
	...
121	Algeria	97.5
122	Palau	98.1
123	Namibia	98.2
124	Senegal	98.3
125	Bhutan	99.1
126	Nicaragua	99.8
127	Tonga	100.3
128	Honduras	100.3
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.7
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Senegal's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Senegal's population is predicted to rise to 19.96 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 4.31. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
67	Netherlands	17.1m
68	Syria	16.9m
69	Cambodia	16.2m
70	Senegal	15.9m
71	Chad	15.5m
72	Somalia	15.0m
73	Zimbabwe	14.4m
74	Guinea	12.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
184	Togo	4.20
185	Zambia	4.24
186	Guinea	4.30
187	Senegal	4.31
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
15	Togo	05.4
16	Ivory Coast	05.6
17=	Malawi	05.6
17=	Senegal	05.6
19	Yemen	05.7
20=	Cameroon	05.8
20=	Niger	05.8
20=	Congo, DR	05.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
138	Poland	1.7%
139	Senegal	1.7%
140	Comoros	1.5%
141	Fiji	1.5%
142	Ghana	1.4%
143	Niger	1.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
109	Guinea	5.2%
110	Turkmenistan	5.0%
111	Mozambique	5.0%
112	Senegal	5.0%
113	Iraq	4.9%
114	Denmark	4.7%
115	Yemen	4.7%
116	Hungary	4.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Senegal's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #senegal #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Mauritius	63.7
2	S. Africa	64.3
3	Cape Verde	68.0
4	Seychelles	73.8
5	Namibia	77.7
6	Senegal	84.7
7	Botswana	86.8
8	Ghana	92.3
9	Tunisia	95.2
10	Lesotho	100.4
11	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2
12	Burkina Faso	101.3
13	Mali	101.6
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
93	Nauru	82.3
94	Northern Cyprus	82.3
95	Singapore	83.1
96	Senegal	84.7
97	Grenada	86.1
98	Botswana	86.8
99	Antigua & Barbuda	87.1
100	Fiji	87.1
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
70	Congo, (Brazzaville)	60.58
71	Central African Rep.	60.15
72	Guyana	60.12
73	Senegal	59.43
74	Comoros	59.27
75	Malawi	59.20
76	Cyprus	59.04
77	Papua New Guinea	58.35
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better21
Pos.		2018 % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
60	Czechia	0.29
61=	Guatemala	0.29
61=	Nicaragua	0.29
61=	Senegal	0.29
64	Trinidad & Tobago	0.30
65	Yemen	0.31
66=	Namibia	0.33
66=	Serbia	0.33
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
109	Laos	109
110	Ivory Coast	110
111=	Ukraine	111
111=	Senegal	111
111=	Colombia	111
111=	Kuwait	111
115	Malaysia	115
116=	Russia	115
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
74	Poland	2.0
75=	Ghana	2.0
76	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
77=	Senegal	2.5
77=	Israel	2.5
77=	Solomon Islands	2.5
77=	Colombia	2.5
77=	Nauru	2.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
25	Bolivia	21
26=	Australia	21
26=	France	21
26=	Senegal	21
29	Hungary	20
30=	Czechia	20
30=	Georgia	20
30=	Albania	20
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
13	Egypt	4.52
14	Spain	4.60
15	Peru	4.64
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Senegal stated simply that 'freedom of assembly and expression were restricted. Forced begging by children continued'₂₅.

Gender Equality Datasets:

Senegal is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Historical and current Islamic beliefs are to blame for this situation.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Islam and Women" by Vexen Crabtree (2011)

Gender Inequality Lower is better26
Pos.		202226
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
125	Swaziland	0.50
126	Bangladesh	0.50
127	Burundi	0.50
128	Senegal	0.51
129	Tanzania	0.51
130	Ghana	0.52
131	Zimbabwe	0.52
132	Venezuela	0.52
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
51=	Slovenia	1945
51=	Croatia	1945
51=	Italy	1945
51=	Senegal	1945
51=	Indonesia	1945
51=	Japan	1945
51=	Togo	1945
58	N. Korea	1946
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better27
Pos.		2014 %27
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
77	Poland	45
78	Indonesia	48
79	Panama	52
80=	Senegal	53
80=	S. Korea	53
82	Iran	56
83	Armenia	58
84	Malaysia	61
	Africa Avg	45.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality Higher is better28
Pos.		2017 Score28
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
185=	Tunisia	-39
185=	Guinea	-39
185=	Cameroon	-39
185=	Senegal	-39
189	Libya	-42
190=	Morocco	-42
191	Solomon Islands	-44
192	Qatar	-54
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better29
Pos.		202129
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
45	Liechtenstein	2.5
46=	Fiji	2.5
46=	Niger	2.5
46=	Senegal	2.5
46=	Kenya	2.5
46=	Romania	2.5
46=	Mali	2.5
46=	Bhutan	2.5
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Senegal's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #senegal #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
16	Egypt	122.8
17	Kenya	123.2
18	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.4
19	Senegal	124.3
20	Zimbabwe	125.1
21=	Mauritania	126.0
22	Togo	126.2
23	Lesotho	127.0
24	Ethiopia	127.1
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
153	Kenya	123.2
154	Congo, (Brazzaville)	123.4
155	Pakistan	123.8
156	Senegal	124.3
157	Tuvalu	124.3
158	Palestine	124.3
159	Zimbabwe	125.1
160	Samoa	125.4
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Senegal has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Senegal comes in the best 20 in terms of its smoking rate₃₂. It does better than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₃ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄. But that's it. Senegal has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its immunizations take-up₃₅, its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Africa), its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (still good for Africa), childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₇ and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₈ (amongst the highest in Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Senegal improved by +11.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs. Senegal's peak fertility rate was 7.29 in 1980.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
141	Tanzania	66.2
142	Pakistan	66.1
143	Rwanda	66.1
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
18=	Bhutan	0.6
18=	Morocco	0.6
20	Jordan	0.7
21=	Senegal	0.7
22	Oman	0.8
23=	Indonesia	0.8
23=	Azerbaijan	0.8
25	Algeria	0.9
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
184	Togo	4.20
185	Zambia	4.24
186	Guinea	4.30
187	Senegal	4.31
188	S. Sudan	4.34
189=	Ivory Coast	4.34
189=	Mauritania	4.34
191	Cameroon	4.38
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better32
Pos.		Total %32
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
4	Ethiopia	5.2%
5	Turkmenistan	5.6%
6	Benin	6.3%
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
156	Libya	156
157	Papua New Guinea	157
158	Belize	158
159	Algeria	159
160	Senegal	160
161	Mauritania	161
162	St Vincent & Grenadines	162
163	Angola	163
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better34
Pos.		1976 %34
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
44	Equatorial Guinea	10.5
45	Comoros	10.8
46	Somalia	10.9
47	Senegal	11.1
48=	Cameroon	11.2
48=	Liberia	11.2
50	Ghana	11.4
51=	Ivory Coast	11.5
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
25	S. Sudan	8.0%
26	China	8.2%
27	Guinea	8.3%
28	Senegal	8.7%
29	Philippines	8.7%
30	Mozambique	8.8%
31	Zambia	9.4%
32	Benin	9.9%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
148	Nepal	63.4
149	Ghana	63.4
150	Eritrea	63.6
151	Senegal	64.6
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better35
Pos.		2015 Avg %35
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
119	Nepal	90.1
120	Montenegro	89.9
121	Zimbabwe	89.7
122	Senegal	89.5
123	Peru	89.3
124	Ireland	89.2
125	Sudan	89.2
126	Honduras	88.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better37
Pos.		Total Per 100037
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
151	Papua New Guinea	52.31
152	Namibia	52.36
153	Myanmar	52.96
154	Senegal	53.83
155	Ghana	54.29
156	Congo, (Brazzaville)	54.48
157	Laos	55.34
158	Tanzania	56.34
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

Senegal was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19).

6. Senegal's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
20	Guinea	67.1
21	Ivory Coast	70.8
22	Togo	71.1
23	Congo, DR	73.0
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
39	Ireland	63.1
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With respect to its responsibility towards the environment, Senegal is 42nd in the world. This is computed using 21 data sets. Senegal does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₃ (but bad for Africa). But, there's bad news too. Senegal does worse than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄, its environmental performance₄₅ (still high for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆.

Environmental Performance Higher is better45
Pos.		201845
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
123	Libya	49.8
124	Ghana	49.7
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
129	Tajikistan	47.9
130	Kenya	47.3
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better43
Pos.		2022 Avg43
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
55	Mali	0.86
56	Morocco	0.86
57	Turkey	0.86
58	Senegal	0.87
59	Sao Tome & Principe	0.88
60	Germany	0.91
61	Palestine	0.91
62	Cyprus	0.92
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
42	Luxembourg	68%
43	Netherlands	68%
44	Kenya	68%
45	Senegal	67%
46	France	67%
47	Nepal	67%
48	Niger	67%
49	Pakistan	67%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
94	Guyana	30.1%
95	Egypt	30.1%
96	Macedonia	30.1%
97	Senegal	29.6%
98	Comoros	28.3%
99	Ireland	27.9%
100	Israel	27.6%
101	Palestine	27.5%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
36	Zambia	18.3
37	Indonesia	18.6
38	Pakistan	18.6
39	Senegal	19.3
40	Sudan	19.9
41=	Myanmar	20.0
41=	Angola	20.0
43	S. Sudan	20.2
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Senegal's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
25	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
26	Ethiopia	128.3
27	Ivory Coast	132.4
28	Senegal	132.6
29	Lesotho	133.7
30	Angola	133.8
31	Congo, (Brazzaville)	135.5
32	Burkina Faso	136.5
33	Liberia	136.6
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
153	Ethiopia	128.3
154	Honduras	132.2
155	Ivory Coast	132.4
156	Senegal	132.6
157	Micronesia	133.6
158	Lesotho	133.7
159	Angola	133.8
160	Congo, (Brazzaville)	135.5
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2951
2	Israel	4.1151
3	Japan	3.5851
	...
55=	Gabon	0.5852
55=	Argentina	0.5853
57	Mexico	0.5451
58=	Senegal	0.5454
59	UAE	0.4955
60=	Uganda	0.4854
60=	Cyprus	0.4856
62	Costa Rica	0.4755
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better57
Pos.		201857
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
154	Cambodia	21.3%
155	Mozambique	19.3%
156	Mauritania	18.8%
157	Senegal	17.6%
158	Sudan	17.5%
159	Ethiopia	17.1%
160	Rwanda	16.3%
161	Tanzania	14.3%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better58
Pos.		2021 Years58
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
181	Syria	9.2
182	Burkina Faso	9.1
183	Yemen	9.1
184	Senegal	9.0
185	Pakistan	8.7
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
66	Namibia	66
67	India	67
68	Lebanon	68
69	Senegal	69
70	China	70
71	Burundi	71
72	Tunisia	72
73	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	73
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better59
Pos.		2018 %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103	Mali	94
104=	Pakistan	94
105	Ethiopia	98
106=	Senegal	98
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better60
Pos.		200660
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
129=	Haiti	67
130	Gambia	66
131=	Zimbabwe	66
131=	Senegal	66
133	Sierra Leone	64
134=	Mozambique	64
134=	Ethiopia	64
134=	Central African Rep.	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
139	Sudan	26%
140	Sao Tome & Principe	26%
141	Yemen	25%
142	Senegal	23%
143	Angola	23%
144	Ivory Coast	22%
145	Honduras	22%
146	Botswana	21%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better62
Pos.		202462
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
90	Sri Lanka	36.3%
91	Angola	34.9%
92	Mongolia	34.6%
93	Senegal	34.4%
94	Ivory Coast	34.0%
95	Pakistan	33.5%
96	Algeria	33.2%
97	Bolivia	33.1%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Senegal's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #senegal #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)63
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank63
1	Mauritius	47.6
2	Seychelles	67.3
3	Tunisia	71.3
4	Sao Tome & Principe	74.5
5	Morocco	75.4
6	Ghana	81.2
7	Algeria	83.9
8	Botswana	85.2
9	Senegal	85.3
10	Egypt	85.9
11	S. Africa	87.5
12	Namibia	90.2
13	Cape Verde	92.8
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)63
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank63
1	Denmark	12.2
2	Netherlands	14.0
3	Norway	14.1
	...
98	Mexico	83.9
99	Algeria	83.9
100	Botswana	85.2
101	Senegal	85.3
102	Egypt	85.9
103	Bolivia	86.0
104	Ecuador	86.0
105	Peru	86.4
	World Avg	76.86
q=178.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 28 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 %64
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
58=	Nepal	40.0
58=	Malaysia	40.0
58=	Nicaragua	40.0
58=	Senegal	40.0
58=	Estonia	40.0
58=	Uruguay	40.0
58=	Turkey	40.0
58=	Hungary	40.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better65
Pos.		2022 Points65
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
69	Jamaica	44.0
70=	Oman	44.0
70=	Bahrain	44.0
72	Senegal	43.0
73=	S. Africa	43.0
73=	Bulgaria	43.0
73=	Benin	43.0
73=	Ghana	43.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Thoughout the 2010s, Senegal made serious improvements to its Corruption Perception Index score (+10), sitting amongst the top 10 best-improvers that decade.

Happiness Higher is better66
Pos.		2024 Score66
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
104	Cameroon	4.9
105	Nigeria	4.9
106	Azerbaijan	4.9
107	Senegal	4.9
108	Palestine	4.8
109	Pakistan	4.8
110	Niger	4.7
111	Ukraine	4.7
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
84	Cape Verde	84
85	Morocco	85
86	Jamaica	86
87	Senegal	87
88	Indonesia	88
89	Cambodia	89
90	Peru	90
91	Jordan	91
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
56	Luxembourg	56
57	Mali	57
58	El Salvador	58
59	Senegal	59
60	Kyrgyzstan	60
61	Qatar	61
62	USA	62
63	Congo, DR	63
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better67
Pos.		2023 Score67
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.80
50	Uruguay	1.80
51	Ghana	1.80
52	Senegal	1.83
53	Indonesia	1.83
54	Argentina	1.84
55	Madagascar	1.85
56	Namibia	1.86
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
40	China	40
41	Canada	41
42	Azerbaijan	42
43	Senegal	43
44	Switzerland	44
45	Bolivia	45
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better38
Pos.		2017 Rank38
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
97	Russia	97
98	Papua New Guinea	98
99	Mexico	99
100	Senegal	100
101	Georgia	101
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	102
103	Barbados	103
104	Armenia	104
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better68
Pos.		2019 Score68
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
55	Taiwan	1.01
56	Laos	1.03
57	Armenia	1.17
58	Senegal	1.19
59	Morocco	1.22
60	Guatemala	1.33
61	Georgia	1.34
62	Papua New Guinea	1.36
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better69
Pos.		Total %69
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
83	Honduras	16.37%
84	Syria	16.47%
85	Kosovo	17.25%
86	Senegal	17.89%
87	Ivory Coast	20.90%
88	Gambia	22.00%
89	Cameroon	26.69%
90	Benin	27.22%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better70
Pos.		201970
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
130	Rwanda	19.50
131	India	19.70
132	Madagascar	21.10
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
137=	Kenya	22.50
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better71
Pos.		2023 %71
1	Slovakia	24.1%72
2	Slovenia	24.3%72
3	Belarus	24.4%73
	...
92=	Mali	35.7%72
93	Vietnam	36.1%74
94=	Indonesia	36.1%75
95	Senegal	36.2%72
96=	Lithuania	36.7%72
96=	Yemen	36.7%76
98	Mauritius	36.8%77
99	Dominican Rep.	37.0%74
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Senegal - only for 6 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better78
Pos.		2018 Severity78
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
81	Sudan	.279
82	Angola	.282
83	Gambia	.286
84	Senegal	.288
85	Nigeria	.291
86	Sierra Leone	.297
87	Liberia	.320
88	Guinea	.336
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)59
Pos.		Lower is better %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
96=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103	Mali	94
104=	Pakistan	94
105	Ethiopia	98
106=	Senegal	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₉:

	2010	2020
Muslim	96.1%	97.6%
Christian	3.41%	2.4%
Unaffiliated	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	0.466%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%₈₀.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?