Senegal vs South Africa
Senegal vs South Africa: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 6.7% a year in Senegal and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Senegal, by 5.6 percentage points, or 5.99 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Senegal has been higher since 2014, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Senegal ranked 19 and South Africa ranked 120 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 1.8% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Senegal | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 6.5 | 0.5 |
| 2023 | 4.3 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 3.9 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 6.5 | 4.9 |
| 2020 | 1.3 | -6.2 |
| 2019 | 4.6 | 0.3 |
| 2018 | 6.2 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 7.4 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | 6.4 | 0.7 |
| 2015 | 6.4 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 6.2 | 1.4 |
| 2013 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| 2012 | 4 | 2.4 |
| 2011 | 1.3 | 3.2 |
| 2010 | 3.4 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2.8 | -1.5 |
| 2008 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| 2007 | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| 2006 | 2.3 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| 2004 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| 2003 | 5.6 | 2.9 |
| 2002 | 0.1 | 3.7 |
| 2001 | 4.3 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| 1999 | 6 | 2.4 |
| 1998 | 6 | 0.5 |
| 1997 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 1.9 | 4.3 |
| 1995 | 6.1 | 3.1 |
| 1994 | -0.2 | 3.2 |
| 1993 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| 1992 | 1.2 | -2.1 |
| 1991 | 2.6 | -1 |
| 1990 | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| 1989 | 4 | 2.4 |
| 1988 | -0.6 | 4.2 |
| 1987 | 6.1 | 2.1 |
| 1986 | 3.1 | 0 |
| 1985 | 3.3 | -1.2 |
| 1984 | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| 1983 | -5.3 | -1.8 |
| 1982 | 7.8 | -0.4 |
| 1981 | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| 1980 | -0.8 | 6.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Senegal | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | 1 |
| 2027 | – | 1.3 |
| 2028 | – | 1.5 |
| 2029 | – | 1.7 |
| 2030 | – | 1.8 |
| 2031 | – | 1.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Senegal vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySenegal: 68.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySenegal: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySenegal: 24.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSenegal: 3.37% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSenegal: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSenegal: 18.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSenegal: 2.33% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSenegal: 3.82 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSenegal: 55.8% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageSenegal: 19.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSenegal: 3.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSenegal: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSenegal: 1.56% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSenegal: $533M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personSenegal: $30 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSenegal: 5.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSenegal: 19,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSenegal: 0.1% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSenegal: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSenegal: 79 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSenegal: 3 million TIV in 1976South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025