{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "

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.

" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "10 00 N, 49 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "637,657 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "627,337 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "10,320 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "2,385 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1,640 km; Kenya 684 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "3,025 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Indian Ocean 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "410 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "70.3% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "10.6% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "19.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "2,000 sq km (2012)" }, "Major aquifers": { "text": "Ogaden-Juba Basin" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "13,017,273" }, "male": { "text": "6,546,312" }, "female": { "text": "6,470,961 (2024 est.)" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Somali(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Somali" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "predominantly Somali with lesser numbers of Arabs, Bantus, and others" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Somali (official), Arabic (official), Italian, English" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "
Buugga Xaqiiqda Aduunka, waa laga maarmaanka macluumaadka assasiga. (Somali)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information." } }, "Religions": { "text": "Muslim 99.9% (Sunni Muslim 98.1%, Shia Muslim 1.2%, Islamic schismatic 0.6%), ethnic religionist 0.1% (2020 est.)" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "

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.

" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "41.4% (male 2,689,086/female 2,694,372)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "55.8% (male 3,699,721/female 3,568,163)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "2.8% (2024 est.) (male 157,505/female 208,426)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "99.4" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "94.2" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.2" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "19.3 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "19.1 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "19.3 years" }, "female": { "text": "18.9 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.55% (2024 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "37.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "47.9% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "2.610 million MOGADISHU (capital), 1.127 million Hargeysa (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.76 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "621 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "83.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "93.2 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "73.7 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "56.5 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "54.1 years" }, "female": { "text": "59 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "5.12 children born/woman (2024 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "2.52 (2024 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "6.9% (2018/19)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 96.4% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 73.7% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 84.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 3.6% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 26.3% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "NA" }, "Physician density": { "text": "0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2014)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 82.4% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 33.8% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 56.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 17.6% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 66.2% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 43.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "8.3% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "62.9% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 15": { "text": "16.8%" }, "women married by age 18": { "text": "35.5%" }, "men married by age 18": { "text": "5.6% (2020 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "0.3% of GDP (2019) NA" }, "Literacy": { "total population": { "text": "NA" }, "male": { "text": "NA" }, "female": { "text": "NA" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "water scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "Nuclear Test Ban" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "70.3% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "10.6% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "19.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "47.9% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Food insecurity": { "exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies": { "text": "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)" } }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "14.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "0.65 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "20.13 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "2,326,099 tons (2016 est.)" } }, "Major aquifers": { "text": "Ogaden-Juba Basin" }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "3.28 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "14.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Federal Republic of Somalia" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Somalia" }, "local long form": { "text": "Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)/ Jumhuriyat as Sumal al Fidiraliyah (Arabic)" }, "local short form": { "text": "Soomaaliya (Somali)/ As Sumal (Arabic)" }, "former": { "text": "British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic" }, "etymology": { "text": "\"Land of the Somali\" (ethnic group)" } }, "Government type": { "text": "federal parliamentary republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Mogadishu" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "2 04 N, 45 20 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "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" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "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" }, "Independence": { "text": "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)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland" }, "Legal system": { "text": "mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, adopted 1 August 2012 (provisional)" }, "amendments": { "text": "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" } }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "the father must be a citizen of Somalia" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "7 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal suffrage starting with 24 June 2024 local elections" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)" }, "head of government": { "text": "Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the House of the People" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "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" }, "election results": { "text": "
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" } }, "Legislative branch": { "legislature name": { "text": "Federal Parliament" }, "legislative structure": { "text": "bicameral" }, "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




" }, "Legislative branch - lower chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "House of the People (Golaha Shacabka)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "275 (all indirectly elected)" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "11/1/2021 to 5/5/2022" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "19%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "October 2026" } }, "Legislative branch - upper chamber": { "chamber name": { "text": "Upper House (Aqalka Sare)" }, "number of seats": { "text": "54 (all indirectly elected)" }, "scope of elections": { "text": "full renewal" }, "term in office": { "text": "5 years" }, "most recent election date": { "text": "7/27/2021 to 11/13/2021" }, "percentage of women in chamber": { "text": "25.9%" }, "expected date of next election": { "text": "July 2026" } }, "Judicial branch": { "highest court(s)": { "text": "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": { "text": "judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA" }, "subordinate courts": { "text": "federal courts; federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia courts" } }, "Political parties": { "text": "

Cosmopolitan Democratic Party
Green Party
Himilo Qaran Party
Ilays Party
Justice and Reconciliation Party
National Progressive Party
Peace and Unity Party
Qaransoor Party
Qiimo Qaran Party
Security and Justice Party
Social Justice Party
Somali Labour Party
Somali Republic Party
Somali Social Unity Party or SSUP
Union for Peace and Development Party or PDP
Wadajir 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" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "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" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador DAHIR Hassan Abdi (since 18 September 2024)" }, "chancery": { "text": "1609 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 853-9164" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
info@somaliembassydc.net

https://somaliembassydc.net/" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador Richard H. RILEY (since 20 June 2024)" }, "embassy": { "text": "Mogadishu, (reopened October 2019 on the grounds of the Mogadishu Airport)" }, "mailing address": { "text": "P.O. Box 606 Village Market
00621 Nairobi, Kenya" }, "telephone": { "text": "[254] 20 363-6451" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
SomaliaPublicAffairs@state.gov

https://so.usembassy.gov/" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "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)" }, "National symbol(s)": { "text": "leopard; national colors: blue, white" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Qolobaa Calankeed\" (Every Nation Has its own Flag)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE" }, "note": "note: adopted 2012; written in 1959" }, "Government - note": { "text": "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" } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "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" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": { "text": "$25.747 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { "text": "$24.706 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$24.05 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2023": { "text": "4.22% (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2022": { "text": "2.73% (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "3.31% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2023": { "text": "$1,400 (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2022": { "text": "$1,400 (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$1,400 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$10.969 billion (2023 est.)", "note": "note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "1.5% (2017 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016": { "text": "-71.1% (2016 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "123.5% (2023 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "7.3% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "22.4% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0% (2023 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "19.7% (2023 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-73% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "camel milk, milk, goat milk, sheep milk, sugarcane, fruits, sorghum, cassava, vegetables, maize (2022)", "note": "note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage" }, "Industries": { "text": "light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "4.3% (2014 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Labor force": { "text": "3.339 million (2023 est.)", "note": "note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2023": { "text": "19.03% (2023 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2022": { "text": "19.13% (2022 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "19.55% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force seeking employment" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "34.3% (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "32.4% (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "37.4% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "54.4% (2022 est.)", "note": "note: % of population with income below national poverty line" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": { "text": "36.8 (2017 est.)" } }, "Remittances": { "Remittances 2023": { "text": "15.82% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Remittances 2022": { "text": "17.01% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Remittances 2021": { "text": "18.29% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "76.7% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "0% (of GDP) (2020 est.)", "note": "note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$464 million (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$427 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2014": { "text": "$819 million (2014 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "UAE 50%, Oman 30%, Bulgaria 3%, India 3%, Kuwait 2% (2022)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "gold, sheep and goats, cattle, gum resins, shellfish (2022)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2018": { "text": "$94.43 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Imports 2017": { "text": "$80.07 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "UAE 33%, China 19%, India 16%, Turkey 7%, Ethiopia 5% (2022)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "tobacco, raw sugar, palm oil, rice, milk (2022)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2014": { "text": "$30.45 million (2014 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2023": { "text": "$2.743 billion (2023 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "23,097.987 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "23,061.784 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "22,254.236 (2015 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "20,230.929 (2014 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "48.9% (2022 est.)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "76.7%" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "30.6%" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "131,000 kW (2022 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "362.985 million kWh (2022 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "15.408 million kWh (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "90.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "1.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "imports": { "text": "(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton" } }, "Petroleum": { "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "6,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "proven reserves": { "text": "5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "815,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "815,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2022": { "text": "661,000 Btu/person (2022 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "91,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1 (2022 est.) less than 1" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "8.84 million (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "50 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "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)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line is 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 50 per 100 (2022)" }, "international": { "text": "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)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "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": { "text": ".so" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "28% (2022 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "119,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1 (2022 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "6 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "7" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "4,486 (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "6O" }, "Airports": { "text": "38 (2024)" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "15,000 km (2013)" } }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "4 (2023)" }, "by type": { "text": "general cargo 1, other 3" } }, "Ports": { "total ports": { "text": "6 (2024)" }, "large": { "text": "1" }, "medium": { "text": "0" }, "small": { "text": "2" }, "very small": { "text": "3" }, "ports with oil terminals": { "text": "2" }, "key ports": { "text": "Baraawe, Berbera, Boosaaso, Kismaayo, Marka, Muqdisho" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF; aka Somali National Defense Force): Land Forces (Somali National Army or SNA), Somali Navy, Somali Air Force

Ministry 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 Navy

note 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 militias

note 3: Somaliland and Puntland have separate military and security forces" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "6% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "6% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "5.6% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "6% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "5.9% of GDP (2017 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "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": { "text": "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 service age and obligation": { "text": "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)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "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 Somalia

the 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 UK

the 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)" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "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" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "23,364 (Ethiopia), 9,969 (Yemen) (2023)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "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)" } } } }