If you lived in Senegal instead of Namibia, you would:

Health

be 96.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Namibia, 9.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.4 years longer

In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 36.5% less likely to be obese

In Namibia, 18.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Senegal, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 21.3% less likely to die by suicide

Namibia has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Senegal, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 80.8% less spent on your healthcare

Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Senegal spends $206 as of 2023.

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have 80.3% fewer doctors per person

Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Senegal has 1.1 as of 2023.

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have 20.6% less access to essential health services

Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Senegal scores 50 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 85.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Senegal, that number is 2.7% as of 2025.

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make 59.9% less money

Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Senegal, the GDP per capita is $1,955 as of 2025.

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Life

be 20.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Namibia, approximately 36.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Senegal, on the other hand, 28.9 children do as of 2024.

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have 12.7% more children

In Namibia, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Senegal, there are 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 70.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Namibia, approximately 139.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Senegal, 237.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 42.5% less likely to be literate

In Namibia, the literacy rate is 87.6% as of 2023. In Senegal, it is 50.4% as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 30.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Namibia, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Senegal, that number is 74% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 32.2% less on education

Namibia spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Senegal spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 54.4% less on healthcare

Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Senegal, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 66.2% less coastline

Namibia has a total of 1,572 km of coastline. In Senegal, that number is 531 km.

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Infrastructure

find 42.8% more home broadband

Namibia has 2.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Senegal has 4.0 as of 2024.

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live with 52.5 times more strain on fresh water

Namibia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Senegal withdraws 16% as of 2022.

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use 66.7% less electricity

Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Senegal uses 410 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 35.8% less CO2

Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 51.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Senegal, it causes 65.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Senegal: At a glance

Senegal is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 192,530 sq km. The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.
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How big is Senegal compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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