Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal

Senegal: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
40.8%
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
41st
of 72 countries
All-time high
45.8%
in 2018
All-time low
4.6%
in 1986
Years of data
13
1986–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal, 1986–2019

010203040501986200220191986: 4.6 % of children under 6 months1993: 5 % of children under 6 months1997: 10.7 % of children under 6 months2000: 24 % of children under 6 months2005: 30.9 % of children under 6 months2011: 39 % of children under 6 months2013: 37.5 % of children under 6 months2014: 32.4 % of children under 6 months2015: 33.3 % of children under 6 months2016: 36.4 % of children under 6 months2017: 42.1 % of children under 6 months2018: 45.8 % of children under 6 months2019: 40.8 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

Senegal recorded 40.8% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019.

That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal peaked at 45.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1986.

Senegal ranks 41st of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.6% 4.6% 4.6% 1
1990s 7.8% 5.0% 10.7% 2
2000s 27.4% 24.0% 30.9% 2
2010s 38.4% 32.4% 45.8% 8

Countries ranked near Senegal

  1. 38 Zimbabwe 41.9% compare
  2. 39 Benin 41.4% compare
  3. 40 Mozambique 41.0% compare
  4. 42 Turkey 40.7% compare
  5. 43 Cuba 40.6% compare
  6. 44 Mali 40.5% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Senegal

All data for Senegal →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal was 40.8% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Senegal?
The highest recorded value was 45.8% in 2018.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Senegal?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1986.
How does Senegal rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Senegal ranks 41st out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Senegal?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Senegal data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.