DAKAR, Senegal (XOL Africa) — Senegal’s macroeconomic statistics broadly meet international standards, but important weaknesses remain in the coordination, coverage and reliability of public-sector and fiscal data, according to a new assessment by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF’s Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) – Data Module, published on September 2, 2026, provides the first comprehensive update of Senegal’s data assessment since 2002. The review covers national accounts, prices, government finance, public-sector debt, monetary and financial statistics, the balance of payments and international investment position.
The assessment, based on the IMF’s 2025 Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF), was conducted during a mission to Senegal from March 4 to 12, 2026.
At the institutional level, the Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie (ANSD) is responsible for national accounts, consumer and producer prices and government finance statistics, while the Banque Centrale des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO) handles monetary and financial statistics as well as balance-of-payments and international investment position data. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for public-sector debt statistics.
Strong performance in price statistics
The IMF found Senegal’s consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) to be fully aligned with international standards, with both datasets rated “Observed” across the assessment’s key dimensions.
Monetary and financial statistics, as well as balance-of-payments and international investment position statistics produced by BCEAO, were also assessed as Largely Observed.
These results point to areas where Senegal has established relatively strong statistical practices and institutional capacity.
However, the assessment identified more significant shortcomings in national accounts, government finance and public-sector debt statistics.
National accounts were rated “Largely Observed” in terms of alignment with international standards and accuracy and reliability, but “Largely Not Observed” in terms of serviceability and accessibility.
Government finance statistics received a mixed assessment, including “Largely Not Observed” for alignment with international standards and serviceability and accessibility.
Public-sector debt statistics were similarly rated “Largely Observed” for standards and accessibility, but “Largely Not Observed” for accuracy and reliability.
IMF calls for stronger statistical coordination
One of the IMF’s central concerns is what it describes as a gap between Senegal’s central statistical authority and statistical services operating across individual government sectors.
The Fund recommends that Senegal amend and operationalize its Statistical Law to give ANSD clear and effective coordinating authority over the National Statistical System.
The objective is to address what the IMF characterizes as a “two-speed” statistical system, in which central statistical capacity has progressed while some sectoral statistical services have developed at a different pace.
The IMF also recommends establishing a permanent inter-agency reconciliation committee, bringing together ANSD, the Ministry of Finance, BCEAO and the Directorate of Public Debt, to regularly reconcile figures across national accounts, government finance, balance of payments, monetary and financial statistics and public-sector debt.
Such coordination is particularly important because discrepancies between datasets can affect assessments of government borrowing, fiscal balances, economic growth and the overall sustainability of public finances.
Debt statistics emerge as a key area for improvement
The report places particular emphasis on improving the coverage and quality of Senegal’s public-sector fiscal and debt statistics.
Among its recommendations, the IMF calls for comprehensive government finance and public-sector debt statistics covering the broader public sector, continued development of financial accounts in the national accounts framework and regular public debt audits.
The recommendations come as Senegal continues efforts to strengthen the transparency and credibility of its public finances.
The Senegalese authorities, in their response to the report, said they broadly agree with the IMF’s findings and intend to incorporate the recommendations into the Fourth National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (SNDS IV 2024–2028).
The authorities also pointed to recent legislative measures, including provisions in the 2026 Finance Law prohibiting letters of comfort, alongside ongoing comprehensive reconciliation of public debt data.
Senegal targets SDDS Plus
The IMF is also encouraging Senegal to move from the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) to SDDS Plus, a higher level of data dissemination and transparency.
Senegal has subscribed to the SDDS since November 2017. Transitioning to SDDS Plus would require the country to close remaining data gaps, including in areas such as general government operations, sectoral balance sheets and financial soundness indicators.
The move would strengthen Senegal’s ability to provide investors, policymakers and international institutions with more comprehensive and timely economic information.
Authorities push back on ANSD governance proposal
While Senegal’s authorities broadly accepted the assessment, they expressed reservations about one aspect of the IMF’s institutional recommendations.
The government supports professional selection criteria for the leadership of ANSD but wants to preserve the existing framework for appointing and removing the agency’s Director General.
The authorities argued that proposals for fixed-term appointments and restrictions on dismissal do not fully correspond with Senegal’s administrative framework or provisions under consideration in the draft African Charter on Statistics.
The disagreement highlights a broader question facing African statistical systems: how to strengthen the professional independence of national statistical institutions while ensuring that reforms remain consistent with national administrative and legal structures.
A test of Senegal’s data credibility
The IMF’s assessment comes at a significant moment for Senegal, where the credibility and transparency of economic data have become increasingly important for fiscal management, investors and international partners.
The report does not portray Senegal’s statistical system as fundamentally weak. Rather, it identifies a system with strong performance in several core datasets but important institutional and coverage gaps in fiscal and public-sector statistics.
The challenge now is implementation.
If Senegal succeeds in strengthening ANSD’s coordinating role, reconciling statistics across institutions and improving the coverage and reliability of government finance and debt data, the reforms could significantly improve the transparency of the country’s public finances.
For policymakers and investors, the quality of economic statistics is more than a technical issue. Reliable data determine how accurately the economy is measured, how fiscal risks are assessed and how confidently decisions can be made.
The IMF’s latest Data ROSC therefore places Senegal’s statistical reform agenda firmly within the broader effort to rebuild confidence in the country’s economic and fiscal governance.
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