World Factbook

Somalia

Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)/ Jumhuriyat as Sumal al Fidiraliyah (Arabic)

Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)

Literacy

male

64.5% (2022 est.)

female

43.9% (2022 est.)

total population

54.1% (2022 est.)

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic (official), Italian, English

major-language sample(s)

Buugga Xaqiiqda Aduunka, waa laga maarmaanka macluumaadka assasiga. (Somali) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim 99.9% (Sunni Muslim 98.1%, Shia Muslim 1.2%, Islamic schismatic 0.6%), ethnic religionist 0.1% (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

Birth rate

46.36 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

11.22 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median age

male

19.3 years

total

15.7 years (2025 est.)

female

18.9 years

Population

male

10,170,863

total

20,324,160 (2025 est.)

female

10,153,297

Nationality

noun

Somali(s)

adjective

Somali

Urbanization

urban population

47.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.4% (male 2,689,086/female 2,694,372)

15-64 years

55.8% (male 3,699,721/female 3,568,163)

65 years and over

2.8% (2024 est.) (male 157,505/female 208,426)

Ethnic groups

predominantly Somali with lesser numbers of Arabs, Bantus, and others

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

100.5 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

97.1 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

29.9 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

3.3 (2025 est.)

Physician density

0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Health expenditure

2.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate

-1.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.38 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 38.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 58.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 80.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 61.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 41.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 19.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

0% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

8.1% national budget (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

male

93.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

81.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

female

73.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate

3.32% (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

3.14 (2025 est.)

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, as shown on this population distribution map

Life expectancy at birth

male

54.1 years

female

59 years

total population

56.5 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

563 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 34.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 57.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 82.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 65.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 42.4% of population (2022 est.)