Rural communities (Communautés rurales) (CR) were fourth-level administrative divisions in Senegal. They were administrative subdivisions comprising the villages, but distinct from the urban communes and municipalities concerning medium or large towns.
Senegal is a predominantly agricultural country, and the rural communities by far encompassed the largest part of the national territory.
The rural communities were imposed by the law No. 72.25 on 19 April 1972. Until early 2008, there were about 324 rural communities but in August 2008 the number has increased and there are now about 340.
In 2013 Senegal passed Act III of Decentralization, which abolished rural communities, and transformed all rural, urban and arrodissements communes into simply communes.