Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal
Senegal: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 40.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal, 1986–2019
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.
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 4.6% | — |
| 1993 | 5.0% | +8.7% |
| 1997 | 10.7% | +114.0% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | +124.3% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | +28.6% |
| 2011 | 39.0% | +26.2% |
| 2013 | 37.5% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | -13.6% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 36.4% | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 42.1% | +15.5% |
| 2018 | 45.8% | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 40.8% | -10.9% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 40.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46.7%, 87% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 40.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 76% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for Senegal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2247 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1649 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7534 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5106 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 17.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8979 (2050)
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
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.