Dakar region

Dakar region (French: Région de Dakar) is the smallest and most populated region of Senegal, encompassing the capital city of the country, Dakar, and all its suburbs along the Cap Vert peninsula, Africa's most westerly point.

Dakar region Région de Dakar (French) Diiwaanu Ndakaaru (Wolof)
Region
Seal
Dakar region highlighted in red inside Senegal
Coordinates: 14°45′N 17°20′W
Country	Senegal
Capital	Dakar
Departments	List Dakar department Pikine department Guédiawaye department Rufisque department
Government
• Regional president	Abdoulaye Faye (PDS; since 2002)
Area
• Total	547 km2 (211 sq mi)
Population  (2023 census)
• Total	4,004,427
• Rank	1st
• Density	7,300/km2 (19,000/sq mi)
• Rank	1st
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
ISO 3166-2	SN-DK
Arrondissements	10[1]
Communes	7,[1] plus 2 communautés rurales
Communes d'arrondissement	43[1]
HDI (2021)	0.607[2] medium · 1st

Administration

The Dakar region is divided into five départements (administrative structures without political power, unlike the French départements). The départements had the following areas and populations at the Census of 2023:

Département	Area (km2)	Population census 2023[3]
Dakar	80	1,278,469
Guédiawaye	13	372,708
Keur Massar	46	770,314
Pikine	42	764,597
Rufisque	356	818,337
Total Région de Dakar	547	4,004,427

Keur Massar department was formed in May 2021.^[4]

Dakar department

Dakar department is also a commune (city). This is a situation comparable to Paris which is both a department and a commune. The department/commune of Dakar is further divided into:

• 4 arrondissements, which are administrative structures without much power. The arrondissements are further divided into:
  • 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "communes of arrondissement"). The communes d'arrondissement have a lot of power, unlike the arrondissements of Paris, and are more comparable to the London boroughs.

Guédiawaye department

Guédiawaye department is also a commune (city). This department has only one arrondissement, so that Guédiawaye is both a department and an arrondissement. The department /arrondissement/commune of Guédiawaye is further divided into:

• 5 communes d'arrondissement

Pikine department

Pikine department is also a commune (city). The department /commune of Pikine is further divided into:

• 3 arrondissements, which are further divided into:
  • 16 communes d'arrondissement

Rufisque department

Rufisque department is made up of two arrondissements and six urban communes:

• Rufisque arrondissement, which is also a commune (city). The arrondissement/commune of Rufisque is divided into 3 communes d'arrondissement:
  • Rufisque Centre (Nord)
  • Rufisque Est
  • Rufisque Ouest
• Bambylor arrondissement, which, administratively speaking, is the only rural part of the Dakar region. The Bambylor arrondissement is divided into 3 communautés rurales (i.e. "rural communities"):
  • Yène
  • Bambylor
  • Tivaouane Peulh-Niaga
• The six communes of Bargny, Sébikotane, Diamniadio, Jaxaay-Parcelle-Niakoul Rap, Sangalkam and Sendou

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1871	1,600	—
1891	8,737	+8.86%
1904	18,447	+5.92%
1918	25,468	+2.33%
1921	32,440	+8.40%
1926	33,679	+0.75%
1961	374,700	+7.13%
1969	581,000	+5.64%
1990	1,405,000	+4.29%
1995	1,688,000	+3.74%
2000	2,029,000	+3.75%
2005	2,434,000	+3.71%
2013	3,137,196	+3.22%
2023	3,896,564	+2.19%

Table of administrative sub-divisions

Administrative divisions of the Dakar region
Département	Commune	Arrondissement	Commune d'arrondissement	Communauté rurale
Department / county / state	City	Borough	Neighborhood	Rural borough
Dakar	Dakar	Almadies	Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur
			Ngor
			Ouakam
			Yoff
		Dakar Plateau	Fann-Point E-Amitié
			Gorée
			Gueule Tapée-Fass-Colobane
			Médina
			Plateau
		Grand Dakar	Biscuiterie
			Dieuppeul-Derklé
			Grand Dakar
			Hann-Bel Air
			HLM
			Sicap-Liberté
		Parcelles Assainies	Cambérène
			Grand Yoff
			Parcelles Assainies
			Patte d'Oie
Guédiawaye	Guédiawaye	Guédiawaye	Golf Sud
			Médina Gounass
			Ndiarème Limoulaye
			Sam Notaire
			Wakhinane Nimzatt
Pikine	Pikine	Dagoudane	Dalifort
			Djidah-Thiaroye Kaw
			Guinaw Rail Nord
			Guinaw Rail Sud
			Pikine Est
			Pikine Nord
			Pikine Ouest
		Niayes	Keur Massar
			Malika [fr]
			Yeumbeul Nord
			Yeumbeul Sud
		Thiaroye	Diamaguène Sicap Mbao
			Mbao
			Thiaroye Gare
			Thiaroye Sur Mer
			Tivaouane Diaksao
Rufisque	Rufisque	Rufisque	Rufisque Est
			Rufisque Nord
			Rufisque Ouest
		Sangalkam	Bargny
			Diamnadio
			Jaxaay-Parcelle-Niakoul Rap
				Sangalkam
			Sébikotane
			Sendou	-
		Bambylor		Bambylor
				Yène
				Tivaouane Peulh-Niaga

Within the Dakar region, the politically significant units (i.e. those who have elected officials and wield a significant power) are: the 7 communes, the 2 communautés rurales, and the 43 communes d'arrondissement.