2024 Edition Primary

Background

Between A.D. 800 and 1100, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians set up coastal trading posts along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, solidifying present-day Somalia’s close trading relationship with the Arab Peninsula. In the late 19th century, Britain, France, and Italy established colonies in the Somali Peninsula that lasted until 1960, when British Somaliland gained independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia. The country functioned as a parliamentary democracy until 1969, when General Mohamed SIAD Barre took control in a coup, beginning a 22-year socialist dictatorship. In an effort to centralize power, SIAD called for the eradication of the clan, the key cultural and social organizing principle in Somali society. Resistance to SIAD’s socialist leadership, which was causing a rapid deterioration of the country, prompted allied clan militias to overthrow SIAD in 1991, resulting in state collapse. Subsequent fighting between rival clans for resources and territory overwhelmed the country, causing a manmade famine and prompting international intervention. Beginning in 1993, the UN spearheaded an international humanitarian mission, but the international community largely withdrew by 1995 after an incident that became known as Black Hawk Down, in which two US military helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. The fighting and subsequent siege and rescue resulted in 21 deaths and 82 wounded among the international forces.International peace conferences in the 2000s resulted in a number of transitional governments that operated outside Somalia. Left largely to themselves, Somalis in the country established alternative governance structures; some areas formed their own administrations, such as Somaliland and Puntland, while others developed localized institutions. Many local populations turned to sharia courts, an Islamic judicial system that implements religious law. Several of these courts came together in 2006 to form the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU established order in many areas of central and southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, but was forced out when Ethiopia intervened militarily in 2006 on behalf of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). As the TFG settled in the capital, the ICU fled to rural areas or left Somalia altogether, but the organization reemerged less than a year later as the Islamic insurgent and terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which is still active today. In 2007, the African Union (AU) established a peacekeeping force, took over security responsibility for the country, and gave the TFG space to develop Somalia’s new government. By 2012, Somali powerbrokers agreed on a provisional constitution with a loose federal structure and established a central government in Mogadishu called the Somali Federal Government (SFG). Since then, the country has seen several interim regional administrations and three presidential elections, but significant governance and security problems remain because al-Shabaab still controls large portions of the country.

Area

land

627,337 sq km

total

637,657 sq km

water

10,320 sq km

Area - comparative

almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline

3,025 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

410 m

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

Irrigated land

2,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1,640 km; Kenya 684 km

total

2,385 km

Land use

agricultural land

70.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest

10.6% (2018 est.)

other

19.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Major aquifers

Ogaden-Juba Basin

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

Natural resources

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

37.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.6% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15

16.8%

women married by age 18

35.5%

Contraceptive prevalence rate

6.9% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Somalia scores very low for most humanitarian indicators, suffering from poor governance, protracted internal conflict, underdevelopment, economic decline, poverty, social and gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Despite civil war and famine raising its mortality rate, Somalia’s high fertility rate and large proportion of people of reproductive age maintain rapid population growth, with each generation being larger than the prior one. More than 60% of Somalia’s population is younger than 25 as of 2020, and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 5.5 children per woman – a rate that has decreased little since the 1970s. A lack of educational and job opportunities is a major source of tension for Somalia’s large youth cohort, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and pirate groups. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest primary school enrollment rates – just over 40% of children are in school – and one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates. Life expectancy is low as a result of high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of preventable diseases, poor sanitation, chronic malnutrition, and inadequate health services. During the two decades of conflict that followed the fall of the SIAD regime in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes. Today Somalia is the world’s fourth highest source country for refugees, after Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity, drought, floods, food shortages, and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors. As of 2022, more than 660,000 Somali refugees were hosted in the region, mainly in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, while nearly 3 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya, Somalia, and the UNHCR in 2013, many Somali refugees have returned home, some 80,000 between 2014 and 2022.  The Kenyan Government in March 2021 ordered the closure of its two largest refugee camps, Dadaab and Kakuma, which then hosted more than 410,000 mainly Somali refugees.  However, the UN refugee agency presented a road map, including voluntary repatriation, relocation to third countries, and alternative stay options that persuaded the Kenyan Government to delay the closures.  The plan was supposed to lead to both camps being closed by 30 June 2022. Yet, as of May 2022, few Somali refugees had decided to return home because of security concerns and the lack of job prospects, instead waiting in the camps unsure of what the future held for them. Other Somali asylum seekers brave the dangers of crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen – despite its internal conflict – with aspirations to move onward to Saudi Arabia and other locations.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.2

potential support ratio

19.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

99.4

youth dependency ratio

94.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 73.7% of population

improved: total

total: 84.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 26.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.6% of population

Education expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2019) NA

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

2.52 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

73.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

93.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

83.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

59 years

male

54.1 years

total population

56.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

2.610 million MOGADISHU (capital), 1.127 million Hargeysa (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

621 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

18.9 years

male

19.3 years

total

19.1 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Somali

noun

Somali(s)

Net migration rate

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.3% (2016)

Physician density

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

female

6,470,961 (2024 est.)

male

6,546,312

total

13,017,273

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

Population growth rate

2.55% (2024 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 33.8% of population

improved: total

total: 56.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 82.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 66.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 43.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 17.6% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

5.12 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

47.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

18 regions (plural - gobollo, singular - gobol); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Capital

etymology

several theories attempt to explain the city's name; one of the more plausible is that it derives from "maq'ad-i-shah" meaning "the seat of the shah," reflecting the city's links with Persia

geographic coordinates

2 04 N, 45 20 E

name

Mogadishu

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Somalia

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the federal government, by members of the state governments, the Federal Parliament, or by public petition; proposals require review by a joint committee of Parliament with inclusion of public comments and state legislatures’ comments; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament and approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum; constitutional clauses on Islamic principles, the federal system, human rights and freedoms, powers and authorities of the government branches, and inclusion of women in national institutions cannot be amended; amended 2024

history

previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, adopted 1 August 2012 (provisional)

Country name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Somalia

conventional short form

Somalia

etymology

"Land of the Somali" (ethnic group)

former

British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

local long form

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

local short form

Soomaaliya (Somali)/ As Sumal (Arabic)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Shane L. DIXON (since 25 July 2023)

email address and website

SomaliaPublicAffairs@state.govhttps://so.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Mogadishu, (reopened October 2019 on the grounds of the Mogadishu Airport)

mailing address

P.O. Box 606 Village Market00621 Nairobi, Kenya

telephone

[254] 20 363-6451

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1609 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador DAHIR Hassan Abdi (since 18 September 2024)

email address and website

info@somaliembassydc.nethttps://somaliembassydc.net/

telephone

[1] (202) 853-9164

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the House of the People

chief of state

President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)

election results

2022: HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud elected president in third round - Federal Parliament percent of vote in first round - Said ABDULLAHI DENI (Kaah) 20.2%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 18.3%, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 16.2%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE (independent) 14.6%, other 30.7%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in second round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 34.1%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 25.7%, Said ABDULLAHI DENI 21%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE 19.2%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in third round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud  66%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 34%2017: Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" elected president in second round; Federal Parliament number of votes in first round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 88, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 72, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 49, other 37; Federal Parliament number of votes in second round - Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 184, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 97, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed 45

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament by two-thirds majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of the People

head of government

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)

Flag description

light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)

Government - note

regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges, including the chief judge and deputy chief judge); note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter, a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and the Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Islamic law

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

federal courts; federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Federal Parliament to consist of:Senate (54 seats; senators indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 4-year terms)House of the People (275 seats; members indirectly elected by electoral colleges, each consisting of 51 delegates selected by the 136 Traditional Elders in consultation with sub-clan elders; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 40, women 14, percentage women 25.9%House of the People - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 221, women 54, percentage women 19.6%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 20.7%

elections

Senate - last held 27 July - 13 November 2021 (next to be held in July 2026)House of the People - last held 1 November 2021 - 05 May 2022 (next to be held in October 2026)

note

note: despite the formation of political parties in 2020, the 2021 parliamentary elections maintained a primarily clan-based system of appointments; seats in the legislature were apportioned to Somali member states and not by party representation

National anthem

lyrics/music

lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE

name

"Qolobaa Calankeed" (Every Nation Has its own Flag)

note

note: adopted 2012; written in 1959

National holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

National symbol(s)

leopard; national colors: blue, white

Political parties

Cosmopolitan Democratic PartyGreen PartyHimilo Qaran PartyIlays PartyJustice and Reconciliation PartyNational Progressive PartyPeace and Unity PartyQaransoor PartyQiimo Qaran PartySecurity and Justice PartySocial Justice PartySomali Labour PartySomali Republic PartySomali Social Unity Party or SSUPUnion for Peace and Development Party or PDPWadajir Party

note

note: in 2017 an independent electoral commission (the NIEC) was inaugurated with a mandate to oversee the process of registration of political parties in the country; as of 2021, the NIEC had registered a total of 110 parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal suffrage starting with 24 June 2024 local elections

Agricultural products

camel milk, milk, goat milk, sheep milk, sugarcane, fruits, sorghum, cassava, vegetables, maize (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$427 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$464 million (2017 est.)

Economic overview

low-income African Horn economy; 30 years of war and instability crippled economic potential; high remittances for basic survival; new fiscal federalism approach; cleared some unsustainable debt; environmentally fragile; digitally driven urbanization efforts

Exchange rates

Currency

Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2014

20,230.929 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

22,254.236 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

23,061.784 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

23,097.987 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2014

$819 million (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, sheep and goats, cattle, gum resins, shellfish (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 50%, Oman 30%, Bulgaria 3%, India 3%, Kuwait 2% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

17.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

7% (2023 est.)

household consumption

126.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-76.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.68 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

36.8 (2017 est.)

Imports

Imports 2017

$80.07 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$94.43 billion (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

tobacco, raw sugar, palm oil, rice, milk (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

UAE 33%, China 19%, India 16%, Turkey 7%, Ethiopia 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-71.1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

3.277 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

54.4% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

76.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$24.949 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$25.558 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$26.351 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.31% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.44% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$1,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$1,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$1,500 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

17.63% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

16.65% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

14.85% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2014

$30.45 million (2014 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

0% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

19.55% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

19.13% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

19.03% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

37.4% (2023 est.)

male

32.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

34.3% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

815,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

815,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

Electricity

consumption

362.985 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

131,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

15.408 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

30.6%

electrification - total population

48.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

76.7%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

90.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

1.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

661,000 Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

6,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

119,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half-dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet country code

.so

Internet users

percent of population

14.5% (2021 est.)

total

2.465 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 50 per 100 (2022)

general assessment

Somalia’s economic difficulties in recent years have made it difficult for telcos and the government to sustain investment in infrastructure; the government has also had to contend with militant groups which continue on occasion to force the closure of internet services in many areas of the country; in recent years, though, the government has addressed the lack of guidance which had prevailed since 1991, when a dictatorial regime was overthrown; the National Communications Law was passed in October 2017, aimed at setting a legal and regulatory framework for the telecoms sector, while provision was made in the following year to set up a regulatory authority to oversee the telecom sector; more recently, three types of licenses were mandated to provide clarity to operators, and to bring the market closer into line with international standards; all operators were given until August 2020 to secure one of the three license types; given the poor condition of fixed-line infrastructure, operators have concentrated on mobile connectivity; their investment plans have involved the development of LTE services to provide mobile data and broadband services; the telecom market has flourished; tariffs are among the lowest in Africa, and new cable systems coming on stream in the next few years, as well as planned investments from local operators to bolster the country’s national fiber backbone, will lead to downward pressure on retail pricing; on the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices are under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes as the remnants of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic remain and as global events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, continue to play out; the market is continuing a positive growth trajectory, supported by a slow economic rebound in the country (2022)

international

country code - 252; landing points for the G2A, DARE1, PEACE, and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

91,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

8.844 million (2022 est.)

Airports

38 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6O

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, other 3

total

4 (2023)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

4,486 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

7

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Baraawe, Berbera, Boosaaso, Kismaayo, Marka, Muqdisho

large

1

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

6 (2024)

very small

3

Roadways

total

15,000 km (2013)

Military - note

the Somali National Army (SNA) and supporting security and militia forces are actively conducting operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group; al-Shabaab controls large parts of southern and central Somaliathe SNA is a lightly armed force of more than a dozen brigades; its most effective units are assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; as of 2023, the Danab Brigade numbered about 2,000 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have up to 5,000 trained troops; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, and the UKthe African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operated in the country with the approval of the UN from 2007-2022; its mission included assisting Somali forces in providing security for a stable political process, enabling the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, and reducing the threat posed by al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups; in April 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured and replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the ATMIS mission is to support the Somalia Federal Government (FGS) in implementing the security objectives of the FGS's security transition plan, a comprehensive strategy developed by the FGS and its international partners in 2018 and updated in 2021 to gradually transfer security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces; originally about 20,000-strong (civilians, military, and police), ATMIS began reducing its staffing levels in mid-2023; it is slated to end its mission at the end of 2024; the follow-on force for ATMIS will be the Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM; established 2013) is mandated by the Security Council to work with the FGS to support national reconciliation, provide advice on peace-building and state-building, monitor the human rights situation, and help coordinate the efforts of the international community; the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS; established 2015) is responsible for providing logistical field support to ATMIS, UNSOM, and the Somali security forces on joint operations with ATMIS (2024)

Military and security forces

Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF; aka Somali National Defense Force): Land Forces (Somali National Army or SNA), Somali Navy, Somali Air ForceMinistry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard and a commando unit known as Harmacad or Cheetah) National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2024)

note

note 1:  the Somali Navy and Air Force have only a few hundred personnel, little equipment, and are not operational; in early 2024, Somalia signed an agreement with Turkey to build, train and equip the Somali Navynote 2: Somalia has numerous militia ("macawisley") and regional forces operating throughout the country; these forces include ones that are clan- and warlord-based, semi-official paramilitary and special police forces ("darwish"), and externally sponsored militiasnote 3: Somaliland and Puntland have separate military and security forces

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 20,000 regular military personnel (2024)

note

note: tens of thousands of militia forces are also active in Somalia

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SNA's inventory includes a variety of mostly older, secondhand equipment largely from Italy, Russia, South Africa, and the UK; in recent years, it has received limited quantities of more modern equipment as aid/donations from a variety of countries, including the US (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

5.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

5.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription of men aged 18-40 and women aged 18-30 is authorized, but not currently utilized (2023)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

3.864 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

23,364 (Ethiopia), 9,969 (Yemen) (2023)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Somalia

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.65 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

20.13 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

14.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

Environment - current issues

water scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

Nuclear Test Ban

Food insecurity

exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

due to drought conditions and internal conflict - the food security situation remains dire and, at national level, about 6.5 million people (almost 40 percent of the total population) are projected to have faced severe acute food insecurity between April and June 2023; the high prevalence and severity of food insecurity are due to prolonged drought, which began in late 2020 and caused severe crop and livestock losses; the impact of the drought on households’ food security has been compounded by prolonged conflicts and hikes in international prices of wheat and fuel caused by the war in Ukraine (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

70.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest

10.6% (2018 est.)

other

19.1% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Ogaden-Juba Basin

Total renewable water resources

14.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.28 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

47.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,326,099 tons (2016 est.)