The Senegal Migration Panel (SMP) is a comprehensive dataset designed to provide deep insights into the migration patterns, socioeconomic conditions, and climate perceptions of rural communities in Senegal. This dataset constitutes an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers, and individuals seeking to comprehend the intricate dynamics of migration and rural development.

Key Features of the Dataset:

• Extensive Sampling: The dataset covers 145 villages across Senegal, selected to represent diverse rural communities. The sampling frame includes villages from three focus departments, representing three different climatic zones, a purposefully selected sample for an irrigation infrastructure program evaluation, and a nationally representative sample.
• Multi-Wave Surveys: The SMP dataset includes multiple waves of surveys conducted in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additional data will be collected in 2025. Each wave provides a snapshot of the evolving socioeconomic and migration landscape in the sampled villages. The data set includes village chief interviews, a village census with detailed network data, and core household and target interviews.
• Detailed Questionnaires: The surveys cover a wide range of topics, including household characteristics, migration history, socioeconomic conditions, climate change perceptions, and individual well-being. The core questionnaires are available for download, allowing users to understand the scope and depth of the data collected.

All SMP data, code, and materials will be made publicly available as an open source resource on the RWI data center FDZ Ruhr in the future. Currently, we provide an SMP user guide, containing an overview of the different interview respondents and types conducted in each of the three waves. We also provide detailed information on the core survey of the 2023 wave (user guide, codebook, questionnaire). Data can be requested from the SMP team. For more information, please contact Maximiliane Sievert at maximiliane.sievert@rwi-essen.de.

Data from an additional 2025 survey round is forthcoming.

Figure 1: Migration flows in the Senegal Migration Panel

Note: Migration flows in the Senegal Migration Panel in 2023. Number of internal migration episodes in 2023 by origin and destination region among adult members of 4,800 households

Figure 2: The SMP sample