MigrantoSenegalese Diaspora
741.4K Senegalese live abroad — 4% of the population of Senegal
Senegalese diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 61% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| France | 176632 |
| Gambia | 145276 |
| Italy | 127427 |
| Spain | 101026 |
| Gabon | 33087 |
| Ivory Coast | 32378 |
| Mali | 27227 |
| Mauritania | 20739 |
| Canada | 13811 |
| Republic of Congo | 13109 |
| Belgium | 9114 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 7634 |
| Burkina Faso | 4283 |
| Cameroon | 4077 |
| Portugal | 2681 |
| Morocco | 2113 |
| Guinea | 1985 |
| Western Sahara | 1899 |
| Niger | 1895 |
| South Africa | 1664 |
| Cape Verde | 1634 |
| Mexico | 1393 |
| Argentina | 1267 |
| Libya | 1263 |
| Japan | 1032 |
| Togo | 1023 |
| Luxembourg | 812 |
| Greece | 692 |
| Brazil | 637 |
| Australia | 509 |
| Tunisia | 455 |
| Norway | 345 |
| Chile | 295 |
| Sierra Leone | 285 |
| Finland | 254 |
| Liberia | 249 |
| Zambia | 232 |
| Denmark | 214 |
| Nicaragua | 202 |
| Egypt | 201 |
| Ghana | 95 |
| Hungary | 60 |
| Iceland | 44 |
| Namibia | 32 |
| Slovakia | 21 |
| Bulgaria | 19 |
| Venezuela | 11 |
| Bolivia | 9 |
| Cyprus | 6 |
| Estonia | 3 |
| Slovenia | 3 |
| Liechtenstein | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
By region
57% of the diaspora lives in Europe
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Key facts
The Senegalese diaspora in numbers
The community in Spain is growing fastest
The number of Senegalese living in Spain has grown 83% since 2015, from 55.1K to 101K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
74.4% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 40.8% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Spain, Cameroon, Portugal. Spain climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
Senegalese diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 325275 |
| 1995 | 318928 |
| 2000 | 366397 |
| 2005 | 425788 |
| 2010 | 498417 |
| 2015 | 558252 |
| 2020 | 665735 |
| 2024 | 741357 |
Largest communities over time
Senegalese living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | France | Gambia | Italy | Spain | Gabon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 69964 | 72943 | 11365 | 129 | 9431 |
| 1995 | 77443 | 89990 | 17707 | 1381 | 12612 |
| 2000 | 86703 | 112746 | 26297 | 7479 | 15776 |
| 2005 | 101387 | 109499 | 44658 | 28177 | 17189 |
| 2010 | 115011 | 114379 | 64404 | 56366 | 19925 |
| 2015 | 135054 | 118452 | 83601 | 55069 | 27861 |
| 2020 | 160065 | 132678 | 112978 | 77628 | 30652 |
| 2024 | 176632 | 145276 | 127427 | 101026 | 33087 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Senegalese in each country has changed since the selected year
Senegalese among immigrants in other countries
Where Senegalese make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Senegalese live outside Senegal?
Around 741.4K Senegalese live abroad, the world's #83 largest diaspora.
Where do most Senegalese abroad live?
Most Senegalese live in France, Gambia and Italy — these three countries account for about 61% of all Senegalese living abroad.
Which country has the largest Senegalese population outside Senegal?
France is home to the largest Senegalese community abroad — 176.6K people, about 24% of all Senegalese living abroad.
What share of the population of Senegal lives abroad?
About 4% of the population of Senegal lives abroad — that's 741.4K out of a total population of 18.5M.
Is the Senegalese diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Senegalese living abroad has grown from 558.3K to 741.4K, about 33%.
Where does the data on the Senegalese diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Senegal who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you
Living in Senegal
See the full country overview