Unemployment rate in Senegal
Senegal: Unemployment rate was 2.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Senegal, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 2.7% for unemployment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and down 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Senegal peaked at 6.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2000.
That places Senegal 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.9% | — |
| 1992 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | +36.6% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | +28.6% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +15.5% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | -34.1% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -15.3% |
| 2019 | 2.9% | -17.1% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +19.9% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -17.4% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 2.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 54% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 2.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 50% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Senegal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +36.6% | 2.9% | 3.9% |
| 2016 | -34.1% | 6.8% | 4.5% |
| 2013 | +28.6% | 3.9% | 5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 2.8% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
More work & labour data for Senegal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3558 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.335 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3759 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3778 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 21,943 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,088 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,953 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 23,061 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 47,014 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Senegal?
- Unemployment rate in Senegal was 2.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2000.
- How does Senegal rank for unemployment rate?
- Senegal ranks 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.