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Flag of Senegal

Senegal

Western Africa

Capital
Dakar
Population
18.1 million (2026)
Currency
West African CFA Franc XOF
Plugs
CDEK 230 V
Drives on the
right
Local time
Senegal highlighted on a globe

Plugs and voltage

Senegal uses Types C and E sockets; Types D and K are also found. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.

At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.

Money

F CFA West African CFA Franc XOF

Average in 2025: 1 USD = 581.9 XOF (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.

West African CFA Franc: where it's used

Price level 39 (US = 100, 2025)

Everyday household prices in Senegal are about 39% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries

Language

  • Frenchofficial26%
  • Wolofde facto official70%

Also official in some regions: Fula, Serer, Jola-Fonyi, sav, mfv, bjt, snf, knf and 3 more.

Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).

Time

Senegal is on UTC+0, with no daylight saving time.

Driving

Traffic in Senegal drives on the right, so the steering wheel is on the left.

Public holidays in the next 12 months

15 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.

December 2026

  • Christmas Day

January 2027

  • New Year's Day

March 2027

  • Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
  • Easter Monday

April 2027

  • Independence Day

May 2027

  • Labor Day
  • Ascension Day
  • Eid al-Adha (estimated)
  • Eid al-Adha (observed, estimated)
  • Pentecost Monday

June 2027

  • Ashura (estimated)

July 2027

  • Grand Magal of Touba (estimated)

August 2027

  • Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
  • Assumption Day

November 2027

  • All Saints' Day

Travel advisories

United States · State Department

Level 1 Exercise normal precautions

Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.

United Kingdom · FCDO

No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to Senegal.

Updated 2026-10-15. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.

Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.

Other practical facts

Calling code
+221
Internet domain
.sn
Measurement
Metric
Paper size
A4
Week starts on
Monday
Read more
Wikipedia
Coat of arms or emblem of Senegal
Coat of arms / emblem

More in Western Africa

Compare all of Western Africa side by side

Flag: Flag of Senegal.svg, Public domain. Arms: Coat of arms of Senegal (official version).svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.