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Senegal vs. Guinea-Bissau

Demographics

SenegalGuinea-Bissau
Population16,082,442 (July 2021 est.)1,976,187 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 40.38% (male 3,194,454/female 3,160,111)

15-24 years: 20.35% (male 1,596,896/female 1,606,084)

25-54 years: 31.95% (male 2,327,424/female 2,700,698)

55-64 years: 4.21% (male 283,480/female 378,932)

65 years and over: 3.1% (male 212,332/female 275,957) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 43.17% (male 417,810/female 414,105)

15-24 years: 20.38% (male 192,451/female 200,370)

25-54 years: 30.24% (male 275,416/female 307,387)

55-64 years: 3.12% (male 29,549/female 30,661)

65 years and over: 3.08% (male 25,291/female 34,064) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 19.4 years

male: 18.5 years

female: 20.3 years (2020 est.)
total: 18 years

male: 17.4 years

female: 18.6 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate2.25% (2021 est.)2.52% (2021 est.)
Birth rate31.31 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)36.64 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)7.69 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-3.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 47.72 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 54.66 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 40.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 50.44 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 56.33 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 44.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 63.83 years

male: 61.59 years

female: 66.14 years (2021 est.)
total population: 63.26 years

male: 61.04 years

female: 65.55 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate3.97 children born/woman (2021 est.)4.72 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.3% (2020 est.)3% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Senegalese (singular and plural)

adjective: Senegalese
noun: Bissau-Guinean(s)

adjective: Bissau-Guinean
Ethnic groupsWolof 37.1%, Pular 26.2%, Serer 17%, Mandinka 5.6%, Jola 4.5%, Soninke 1.4%, other 8.3% (includes Europeans and persons of Lebanese descent) (2017 est.)Fulani 28.5%, Balanta 22.5%, Mandinga 14.7%, Papel 9.1%, Manjaco 8.3%, Beafada 3.5%, Mancanha 3.1%, Bijago 2.1%, Felupe 1.7%, Mansoanca 1.4%, Balanta Mane 1%, other 1.8%, none 2.2% (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS39,000 (2020 est.)37,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsMuslim 95.9% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 4.1% (mostly Roman Catholic) (2017 est.)Muslim 45.1%, Christian 22.1%, animist 14.9%, none 2%, unspecified 15.9% (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths1,100 (2020 est.)1,500 (2020 est.)
LanguagesFrench (official), Wolof, Pular, Jola, Mandinka, Serer, SoninkePortuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 51.9%

male: 64.8%

female: 39.8% (2017)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 59.9%

male: 71.8%

female: 48.3% (2015)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies
Education expenditures4.8% of GDP (2018)2.1% of GDP (2013)
Urbanizationurban population: 48.6% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 44.6% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 92.3% of population

rural: 74.5% of population

total: 83.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 6.7% of population

rural: 25.5% of population

total: 16.7% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 91.2% of population

rural: 60.3% of population

total: 73.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 8.5% of population

rural: 39.7% of population

total: 26.5% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 91.2% of population

rural: 48.5% of population

total: 68.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 8.8% of population

rural: 51.5% of population

total: 31.6% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 66.5% of population

rural: 13.4% of population

total: 36.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 33.5% of population

rural: 86.6% of population

total: 63.8% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population3.230 million DAKAR (capital) (2021)621,000 BISSAU (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality rate315 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)667 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight14.4% (2019)18.8% (2019)
Health expenditures4% (2018)7% (2018)
Physicians density0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density0.3 beds/1,000 population (2008)1 beds/1,000 population (2009)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate8.8% (2016)9.5% (2016)
Demographic profile

Senegal has a large and growing youth population but has not been successful in developing its potential human capital. Senegal's high total fertility rate of almost 4.5 children per woman continues to bolster the country's large youth cohort - more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Fertility remains high because of the continued desire for large families, the low use of family planning, and early childbearing. Because of the country's high illiteracy rate (more than 40%), high unemployment (even among university graduates), and widespread poverty, Senegalese youths face dim prospects; women are especially disadvantaged.

Senegal historically was a destination country for economic migrants, but in recent years West African migrants more often use Senegal as a transit point to North Africa - and sometimes illegally onward to Europe. The country also has been host to several thousand black Mauritanian refugees since they were expelled from their homeland during its 1989 border conflict with Senegal. The country's economic crisis in the 1970s stimulated emigration; departures accelerated in the 1990s. Destinations shifted from neighboring countries, which were experiencing economic decline, civil wars, and increasing xenophobia, to Libya and Mauritania because of their booming oil industries and to developed countries (most notably former colonial ruler France, as well as Italy and Spain). The latter became attractive in the 1990s because of job opportunities and their periodic regularization programs (legalizing the status of illegal migrants).

Additionally, about 16,000 Senegalese refugees still remain in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau as a result of more than 30 years of fighting between government forces and rebel separatists in southern Senegal's Casamance region.

Guinea-Bissau's young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country's high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world's highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.

Guinea-Bissau's history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse.

Some young men lacking in education and job prospects become involved in the flourishing international drug trade. Local drug use and associated violent crime are growing.

Contraceptive prevalence rate26.9% (2019)20.6% (2018)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 84.2

youth dependency ratio: 78.4

elderly dependency ratio: 5.7

potential support ratio: 17.5 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 81.2

youth dependency ratio: 76

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2

potential support ratio: 19.1 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook