National Identity
- Official name
- Federal Republic of Somalia
- Official name (in Somali)
- Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya
- Official name (in Arabic)
- جمهورية الصومال الفيدرالية
- Official name (in Arabic, Romanized)
- Jumhūriyyat aṣ-Ṣūmāl al-Fīdirāliyya
- Name etymology
the name means "Land of the Somali," a local ethnic group; the origin of the group's name is unclear but may come from 1) a Cushitic word meaning "dark," 2) the local phrase soo mal, meaning "go and milk" (referring to offering guests milk), 3) the name of a local chief, or 4) the Arabic zamla, meaning "cattle"
Sources:- Federal Republic of Somalia - Provisional Constitution - Adopted on August 1, 2012 ↗ - Federal Parliament of Somalia - House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia (FRS)
- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
Translated from the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia The flag of the Federal Republic of Somalia, as shown in the First Schedule (A) of the Constitution, is a light blue rectangle with a white five-pointed star in its centre, having equal points.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerAs published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia The white star has five points, one for each of the regions that the Somali people inhabited before the founding of the Republic of Somalia.
As published in EnglishTranslated from Somali National Television and the white colour he gave the meaning of peace, and the blue he described as the prosperity that our country has.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerAs published by the Somali Government the national flag of Somalia was adopted on October 12, 1954, and was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban
As published in EnglishTranslated from Somali National Television When the SYL organisation and those of the opposition presented, after a long debate both the ruling side and the opposition agreed on the flag presented by Mohamed Awale Liban; however, when it was taken to the Italian administration, it refused and stated that it resembled the flag of the country Zaire, and that therefore it was not acceptable to adopt a flag that a country already has; however, Mohamed Awale Liban told the Italians that the two flags were not the same, because the star in the middle of the flag (Zaire) is a golden-yellow one; therefore the administration of the Basaab office in Mogadishu agreed that the blue flag with the white star in its centre be adopted.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Radio Muqdisho 26 June 1960 was the first time that flag, for which a long struggle had been waged, was raised in Freedom Square in the city of Hargeisa, after the northern regions became free from British colonialism; four days later, on 1 July 1960, the south of the country became free from Italian colonialism, and at the same time the two regions of the North and the South united, and from that the Somali Republic was born.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- parliament.gov.so ↗ - the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia
- web.mfa.gov.so ↗ - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia
- sntv.so ↗ - Somali National Television
- somalia.gov.so ↗ - the Somali Government
- radiomuqdisho.so ↗ - Radio Muqdisho
- National anthem
- Qolobaa Calankeed1:06
- Title (in Somali)
- Qolobaa Calankeed
- Title (in English, translated)
- Every nation has its own flag
- Lyrics
ChorusQolobaa calankeedu, waa ceynoo, Qolobaa calankeedu, waa ceynoo, Innaga keenu waa, cirkoo kale e, Oon caadna lahayn, ee caashaqaye.
1Xidigyey cadi waad na ciidamisee Carrada kaligaa adow curadee Cadceedda sideeda caan noqo
Qolobaa calankeedu, waa ceynoo,2Cishadad dhalataad calooshayadii Cishadad dhalataad calooshayadii Sidii culaygii cidaad marisee Allow ha ku celin cawoy dhaha
Qolobaa calankeedu, waa ceynoo,Source: - Citizens
- Somalis
- Official name:Federal Republic of Somalia - Provisional Constitution - Adopted on August 1, 2012 ↗ - Federal Parliament of Somalia - House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia (FRS)
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- National flag:parliament.gov.so ↗ - the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia
- National flag:web.mfa.gov.so ↗ - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia
- National flag:sntv.so ↗ - Somali National Television
- National flag:somalia.gov.so ↗ - the Somali Government
- National flag:radiomuqdisho.so ↗ - Radio Muqdisho
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
- Total area
- 637,657 km²
- Land area
- 627,337 km²
- Water area
- 10,320 km²
- Land borders
- 2,385 km(3 countries)
- Coastline
- 3,025 km
- Terrain
Mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north - Mean elevation
- 410 m
- Highest point
- 2,460 mMount Shimbiris
- Lowest point
- 0 mIndian Ocean
- Climate
Principally desert northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons - Avg. temperature
- 26.5 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 22 to 32 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 297 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 31.1 25 19.9 6 February 32.3 25.8 20.3 3 March 33.5 27.2 21.9 12 April 32.9 27.5 23.2 64 May 32.4 27.5 23.6 51 June 32.5 27.5 23.5 8 July 31.8 26.9 22.9 7 August 32.4 27.1 22.8 7 September 33.1 27.5 22.9 9 October 31.4 26.3 22.1 58 November 30.4 25.3 21 54 December 30.7 25 20.2 17 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable1.8%Pasture68.5%Forest7.9%Other21.7%
- Arable land
- 1,100,000 hectares (1.8%)
- Permanent crops
- 29,200 hectares (0.0%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 43,000,000 hectares (68.5%)
- Forest
- 4,981,650 hectares (7.9%)
- Other land
- 13,623,150 hectares (21.7%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Drought10.0Very high#1/191River floods7.8Very high#23/191Tsunamis6.7Very high#29/191Epidemics6.3High#44/191Coastal floods5.9High#42/191Tropical cyclones1.8Very low#48/191Earthquakes1.2Very low#121/191
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +3.31% per year+651,168 people/yearWorld Rank3rdof 237
- Birth rate
- 41.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 9.6 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +0.8 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 15.6 yearsWorld Rank236thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years46.5%15-64 years50.8%65 years +2.6%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 2.6%
- Share aged under 18
- 52.9%
- Total dependency ratio
- 97
- Youth dependency ratio
- 92
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 5
- Sex ratio
- 1 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.1% 0.2% 70-79 0.5% 0.7% 60-69 1.2% 1.4% 50-59 2.1% 2.3% 40-49 3.5% 3.7% 30-39 5.3% 5.4% 20-29 8.3% 8.3% 10-19 11.9% 11.6% 0-9 17.0% 16.5% - 2026
- 3.40 above the replacement level for Somalia ()5.80 births per womanreplacement 2.40123456World Rank2ndof 237
- 2.40 daughters per woman1.40 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.522.5
- 2026
- +31.6 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 31.6 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +0.8 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 55.6% live in cities11,297,904 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2026
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu), Hargeisa, Kismayo, BuraoRankUrban AreaPopulation (2026 estimate)1Muqdisho (Mogadishu)4,518,6272Hargeisa1,634,2833Kismayo471,1134Burao440,6595Baidoa426,9116Borama374,5437Wanlaweyn327,0228Merca312,0359Beledweyne306,02610Jowhar268,011
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
- Population distribution
- Distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa.
- Ethnic groups
- Predominantly Somali, with smaller numbers of Arabs, Bantus and others.
- Religions2020
- Muslim99.9%Ethnic religionist0.1%
- Muslim
- 99.9%
- Sunni Muslim
- 98.1%
- Shia Muslim
- 1.2%
- Islamic schismatic
- 0.6%
Source:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Languages
- Somali (Soomaaliga), Arabic (العربية)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization, Largest cities:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicUnder the Constitution adopted in March 2026, replacing the 2012 Provisional Constitution, the President is elected by the Federal Parliament for five years, with a two-term limit.
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe President appoints the Prime Minister, whom Parliament can dismiss. Puntland and Jubaland reject the 2026 Constitution.
- Territorial organisation
- Federal
- Territorial control
- ContestedThe "Republic of Somaliland" controls north-western Somalia, including Hargeisa; its extent in Sool and Sanaag is disputed.
- Official websites
- Capital
- Mogadishu2.3 million people(2024)
- National holidays
- 10 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriJan 16Isra' and Mi'raj (estimated)
- FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- FriMay 1Labour Day
- WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- TueJun 16Islamic New Year (estimated)
- ThuJun 25Ashura (estimated)
- FriJun 26Independence Day
- WedJul 1Republic Day
- TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- EATEast Africa TimeUTC+3
- Currency
- Somali Shilling (SOS)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +252
- Internet TLD
- .so
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- SO, SOM
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 34,066 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Aircraft departures
- 1,060 by the country's airlines(2019)
- Air freight
- 0 million tonne-km(2019)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- 6O
Sources:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- 2025
- 9 / 100World Rank181stof 182Confidence interval
Corruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 8 4 12 2013 8 5 11 2014 8 4 12 2015 8 4 12 2016 10 5 15 2017 9 5 13 2018 10 5 15 2019 9 6.1 11.9 2020 12 8.2 15.8 2021 13 9.9 16.1 2022 12 9.1 14.9 2023 11 7.6 14.4 2024 9 5.2 12.8 2025 9 5.3 12.7 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation, Territorial control:Dastuurka Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia), Muqdisho, 4 March 2026 ↗ - Upper House of the Federal Parliament of Somalia
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Low income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +2.3% per yearWorld Rank122ndof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $850 (186th in the world)
Source:- Inflation2026
- 6.3%up 2.6 percentage points2.6pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 3.4 million (18% of population)World Rank101stof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 33.9% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 18.9%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 34.1% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $6.1 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 0.9% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 25.4% of GDP, $3.8 billion deficit
Source: - Trade2023
- United Arab Emirates35%
- Saudi Arabia27%
- Oman18%
- Djibouti8%
- India3%
Source:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Raw milk of camel, Meat of camels (fresh or chilled), Raw milk of sheep, and 7 more
- 1Raw milk of camel837.5×
- 2Meat of camels (fresh or chilled)268.5×
- 3Raw milk of sheep110.5×
- 4Raw milk of goats64.4×
- 5Meat of goat (fresh or chilled)17.7×
- 6Sorghum3.1×
- 7Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)2.8×
- 8Raw milk of cattle2×
- 9Cassava (fresh)1×
- 10Sugar cane0.4×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
- Income level:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
Society
- 2023
- 0.404LowWorld Rank192ndof 193SomaliaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Somalia World 2022 0.385 0.752 2023 0.404 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 1.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 7.5 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2022
- 54.1% of adults
- Education expenditure2023
- 0% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 3.6%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2020
- 15% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 11.9%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2020
- 8.8 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 91,000
- Fixed broadband
- 0.7 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2014latest available
- 1% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 2%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 39%
- Mobile-money account
- 37%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 38%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 20,005 people
- Asylum seekers
- 24,557
- Internally displaced persons
- 3,347,000All due to conflicts
- Refugees from Somalia abroad
- 903,887
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- Very high8.8 out of 10Conflict and violence, Drought and drier conditions, Floods, International displacement
Crisis Since Sep 2024 Severity Country overallConflict and violence, Drought and drier conditions, Floods, International displacement 8.8Very high International displacement to SomaliaInternational displacement 4.1Medium Data reliability as rated by INFORM: Very high. Last updated Aug 31, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Prison population2023
- 15.2 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 2,799
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 59.3 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 3.7% of GDP$22 per person
- Physicians2014
- 0.05 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2019
- 0.9 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 64.3 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 563 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 0 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 27.4 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.87 Mt per yearup 1.8 percent on the previous year1.8% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0 t per personWorld Rank206thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 26.9 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 4.85 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 1.8 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 34.4 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 8.4 µg/m³ of PM2.50.3 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted149thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- water scarcity
- contaminated water
- improper waste disposal
- deforestation
- land degradation
- overgrazing
- soil erosion
- desertification
Source:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- International agreements
- 16 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 35 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 2009 Kyoto Protocol in force 2010 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 2001 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 2001 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 2010 CITES in force 1986 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 1986 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2010 Nagoya Protocol signed 2012, not ratified Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention in force 2020 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2002 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2010 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2010 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2010 Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1994 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 in force 2020 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 68.3% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 15 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 826 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 59% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 3.3 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 99%
- Water stress
- 25% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 50.7% of the population8.7 million people
- Obesity2024
- 14.9% of adults
- Men
- 6%
- Women
- 23.3%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2009latest available
- 22.5% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 1.29 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0.4 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.4 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.4 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Production endedlast produced in 1993Consumption202411,150 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.6% of GDP$201.9 million, 21.6% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- estimated 20,000active Somali Armed Forces
Tens of thousands of militia forces are also active in Somalia.
Source:- The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Military service2025
- Voluntarycompulsory service is reportedly authorized, but not currently utilized; men and women 18–22, Somali Armed Forces
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Somalia - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
