An interview with the Director of Human Resources in Senegal's Ministry of Planning and Cooperation provided information on the implementation to date of Senegal's national population policy enunciated in April 1988. Senegal's major population problems include its very young age structure, uneven spatial distribution, and rapid natural increase estimated at 2.7% annually. Senegal's high fertility rate is of concern because of its influence on maternal and child health, its impact on economic growth, and its implications for achieving the objectives of the national population policy. The strategy of the national population policy is to respect the rights and traditions of the population but to provide information and education on population to make people aware of its role. Birth spacing is not an unknown concept in Senegalese tradition, and neither Islam nor Christianity is in principle against family planning. It is no longer certain that children in rural areas provide needed manpower or old age support. New aspirations, increased monetization of the economy, increased communication, and the influence of modernization in general have probably influenced the perception of children's roles in rural areas. A program of action with some 20 priority projects in the area of population is currently under development in Senegal.