​Senegal: an unprecedented surplus of 80.7 billion CFA francs in 2023 despite the external challenges (BCEAO) 

  The Senegalese balance of payments recorded a surplus of 223,7 billion CFA francs in 2023, in contrast with the deficit of 62,2 billion CFA observed in 2022. However, the balance of trade remains in deficit, according to data published by the Banque Centrale des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO) on 23 January 2025, during the 17th edition of the External Accounts of Senegal. This meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Budget, Cheikh Diba. François Sène, National Director of the BCEAO, explained that “the balance of payments is a statistical record of all commercial and financial exchanges between residents and non-residents, thus offering a global view of economic interactions between a country and the rest of the world. ” He also noted the stability of the current account, which remained around 19.33% of GDP between 2022 and 2023, with a variation of only 0.1 point. The Minister of Finance, welcoming these results, recalled that the published data play a crucial role as a barometer of the economic health of the country. “These figures, beyond a simple compilation, offer a precise picture of our capacity to meet the current economic challenges”, he underlined. In 2023, Senegal recorded an economic growth of 4.3%, supported by the performance of the primary (+5.9%), secondary (+193.2%) and tertiary sectors (+3.8%). However, the current account deficit stood at CFA 3683 billion, or 19.8% of GDP.