Government Expenditure: Senegal

Analysis# Senegal Government Expenditure Senegal's government expenditure reached 26.879% of GDP in 2026, representing a significant decline from its all-time peak of 36.214% in 2022. Since 2004, when spending stood at just 18.145% of GDP, overall expenditure has grown 48.1%—reflecting expanded public investment and fiscal commitments over two decades. The current 2026 projection sits well below recent highs but remains substantially elevated compared to early-2000s levels. A dramatic spike emerged between 2018 and 2022, when expenditure surged from 22.552% to 36.214% of GDP—a 60% increase in four years, likely driven by pandemic-related spending and infrastructure projects. Since that 2022 peak, spending has contracted consistently, declining 25.7% through 2026. This downward trajectory suggests fiscal consolidation efforts, with government expenditure projected to stabilize below 27% of GDP by 2026.