Senegal

Is Senegal safe to visit?

Yes. Senegal has never had a coup, it held a peaceful election and handover of power in 2024, and the US gives it its lowest advisory, Level 1, for every region except Casamance in the south. Violent crime against visitors is uncommon. What deserves attention is more everyday: the roads, malaria, the Atlantic surf and a rise in street robbery in Dakar. We score Senegal 58, just ahead of Ghana and well behind Morocco.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Senegal 75th of 163, one place ahead of Ghana. The UK does not advise against travel to any part of the country.

Politics after the 2024 handover

The 2024 presidential election, delayed and preceded by three years of deadly protests, ended with opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye winning and taking office peacefully. His ruling PASTEF party later won a large majority in parliament. In May 2026 the alliance at the top split: according to Prime Business Africa, Faye dismissed his prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, and dissolved the government by decree after a public dispute over political funds and IMF talks.

So far this has been a political crisis, not a street one, but Senegal's history of protest is recent. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says demonstrations in Dakar are frequent, can turn violent and sometimes block the road between Blaise Diagne airport and the city. Foreigners have been prosecuted for joining unapproved protests. Keep away from any gathering and allow extra time for airport runs on days with announced marches.

Casamance and the eastern borders

Casamance, the green strip south of The Gambia, has had a low-intensity separatist conflict since 1982. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the violence is mostly aimed at security forces and the risk is lower in the main tourist areas, but clashes happen near the Gambian and Guinea-Bissau borders. The US adds armed banditry and landmines left from the conflict in rural and border areas, and limits its own staff to main roads by day.

In the east and north, the concern is the Sahel. JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, has carried out deadly attacks in western Mali close to the Senegalese border, and the FCDO asks visitors to take particular care in remote areas near Mali and Mauritania. Senegal itself has not had a major terrorist attack, but the FCDO says one cannot be ruled out.

Roads: the biggest risk

WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 23.5 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2019. The national road safety agency ANASER recorded 868 deaths and 15,407 crashes in 2025; Le Soleil, reporting the figures, says the toll keeps rising and that the Dakar region accounts for more than half of all crashes. Pedestrians are hit hard: they are in 4% of urban crashes but 17% of deaths.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says most main roads are good but minor roads can be very poor, speeding is common and many minibuses (cars rapides) are not roadworthy. Driving after dark is more dangerous because of unlit roads and vehicles without lights. The US advises against motorbikes, cars rapides and public transport, and calls the regulated taxis safer; agree the fare before you get in. For longer trips, hire a car with a driver and travel by day.

Crime in Dakar

There is no reliable recent national homicide figure for Senegal. The last UNODC number, 0.3 per 100,000 in 2015, is almost certainly an undercount; WHO's modelled estimate for 2021 is 7.9. What both governments describe is a rise in property crime in the capital. The US says knife-point robberies and burglaries are common in cities, and thieves on scooters grab bags and phones. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says robbery and assault have become more common in Dakar, sometimes with weapons, and some hotels used by foreigners have been robbed at gunpoint.

Practical steps:

• Pre-arrange your airport pickup. The FCDO warns of fake drivers who pretend to know you, then overcharge.
• Change money only at banks or reputable bureaux; fake notes circulate.
• Avoid walking alone after dark, especially on the Corniche Ouest.
• Carry little cash. ATMs often run out, even in Dakar, and are rare elsewhere.

Health and the sea

Malaria is present across the country, and CDC recommends preventive tablets for all travellers along with the yellow fever vaccine. Dengue circulates, and rabid dogs are common. In autumn 2025 Senegal had an outbreak of Rift Valley fever, spread mainly by contact with infected livestock: the WHO counted 358 confirmed cases and 28 deaths by 30 October, 78% of them in the Saint-Louis region. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls care in Dakar reasonable but limited elsewhere, so take insurance that covers evacuation.

The Atlantic is the hazard many visitors underestimate. The US says rip currents can occur anywhere along the coast and children drown every year. Swim only at guarded beaches and never after drinking. From June to September, heavy rain floods roads and parts of Dakar.

How we scored it

Road safety (38) is the weakest factor, based on WHO's 2019 estimate and rising national counts. Health (48) reflects nationwide malaria and limited care outside Dakar. Violent crime (65) follows WHO's 2021 estimate of 7.9 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary, in the lower half of its band because armed robbery is increasing in Dakar. Conflict (72), the strongest factor, accounts for Casamance and the Mali border.