Share of students studying abroad in Senegal
Senegal: Share of students studying abroad was 6.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of students studying abroad in Senegal, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 6.8% for share of students studying abroad in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Senegal peaked at 21.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2023.
That places Senegal 76th out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 19.5% | — |
| 2004 | 21.2% | +8.8% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 19.6% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 17.2% | -12.5% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | -20.5% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 13.7% | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | -25.8% |
| 2012 | 9.7% | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | -13.1% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 7.5% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 7.2% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 6.9% | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -1.1% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 6.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.8%, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 6.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.6%, 1.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.5% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 17.4% | 13.0% | 21.2% | 6 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 7.5% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students studying abroad in Senegal?
- Share of students studying abroad in Senegal was 6.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2023.
- How does Senegal rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Senegal ranks 76th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's tertiary level students studying abroad as international students. International students are those that move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.