Dakar — UN urban centre population
Dakar has a recorded base population of 3,852,475 for the UN urban centre definition (2025 annual estimate). UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; the moving counter uses UN 2025–2026 annual growth, not new population observations.
At a glance
Separate UN urban-centre definition
Dakar UN urban centre: 3,852,475 people (2025), equal to the displayed UN urban centre figure of 3,852,475. Separate GeoNames settlement record: 2,646,503; the UN value is larger (different boundaries; GeoNames population date unavailable). UN WUP 2025 Degree of Urbanisation; not a municipal/province boundary. Association: name/country/coordinates matched; boundary relationship unverified. No containment claim is made.
Administrative units of Dakar
3 administrative records listed; completeness not established. 3 of 3 population values available; population values and dates not independently verified.
Available-value subtotal: 2,859,128; not a reconciled total. Shares use the displayed UN urban centre denominator 3,852,475; mixed/unknown dates are not comparable. An em dash means missing, not zero.
| Unit | Population | Share | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakar Department | 1,278,469 | 33.19% | Not independently verified |
| Rufisque Department | 822,105 | 21.34% | Not independently verified |
| Pikine Department | 758,554 | 19.69% | Not independently verified |
Recorded localities
Gazetteer associations; boundary membership not independently verified.
Le Plateau (34,713)
Comparable database records
Same definition label: UN urban centre. Dates/boundaries may still differ; this is not a harmonised international city ranking. Ratios use 3,852,475 as denominator.
| Place | Population | vs Dakar |
|---|---|---|
| Varanasi | 3,858,863 | +0.2% |
| Owerri | 3,833,343 | −0.5% |
| Antananarivo | 3,916,219 | +1.7% |
| Tashkent | 3,935,793 | +2.2% |
| Monterrey | 3,938,015 | +2.2% |
About these numbers
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025. Reference: 2025 annual estimate. Live method: exponential projection from modelling anchor 2025-01-01 using UN 2025–2026 annual growth (+1.79% per year). This anchor is a modelling convention, not an observed population date. Tiles, ranks and comparisons use the recorded base figure 3,852,475, not the ticking estimate. Country/world denominators are World Bank values and can differ in date and method from local/UN values. Ranks cover only records with the same definition label in this database, not all cities in the world.
What changed during your lifetime?
Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.
Which city boundary are you reading?
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.