What is the population of Somalia in 2026?
Somalia has a population of 19,654,739 people (2025 estimate), which is 67th in the world and about 0.24% of the global total.
Officially Federal Republic of Somalia
Population 2025
19,654,739
0.24% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+3.34%
+656,468 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
29/km²
627,340 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
15.6 years
Life expectancy 59.0 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Somalia
With a population of 19,654,739, Somalia ranks 67th globally and spans 627,340 km² across the Horn of Africa. The country experiences rapid growth at 3.3% annually, driven by a fertility rate of 6 births per woman and a median age of just 15.6 years. Urban settlement accounts for 55% of residents, though population density remains low at 29 people per km².
Life expectancy stands at 59 years, while the economy operates at $661 GDP per capita. Somali and Arabic are the primary languages spoken in this federal republic, established in 1960. The country shares borders with Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya, and is governed from the capital, Mogadishu. The Somali shilling serves as the national currency.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- ISO codes
- SO · SOM
- Demonym
- Somali
- Currency
- Somali shilling (SOS Sh)
- Government
- Federal republic
- State inception
- 1960
- Time zone
- UTC+03:00
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +252
- Internet TLD
- .so
- Land neighbours
- 3
Languages
- Arabic
- Somali
Demographics
Economy
Not published for Somalia: Inflation Rate, Gini Index.
Health
Education
Not published for Somalia: Mean Years of Schooling.
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 46.6%
- Age 15–64
- 50.8%
- Age 65+
- 2.6%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 3 | 13 |
| 95-99 | 83 | 207 |
| 90-94 | 892 | 1,625 |
| 85-89 | 4,872 | 7,691 |
| 80-84 | 14,475 | 20,430 |
| 75-79 | 33,578 | 43,425 |
| 70-74 | 66,990 | 81,784 |
| 65-69 | 99,431 | 117,138 |
| 60-64 | 134,865 | 154,181 |
| 55-59 | 174,727 | 194,180 |
| 50-54 | 224,684 | 239,368 |
| 45-49 | 288,675 | 299,038 |
| 40-44 | 371,099 | 380,187 |
| 35-39 | 454,654 | 460,692 |
| 30-34 | 527,415 | 529,902 |
| 25-29 | 721,514 | 718,831 |
| 20-24 | 874,911 | 862,518 |
| 15-19 | 1,036,899 | 1,011,197 |
| 10-14 | 1,214,069 | 1,182,898 |
| 5-9 | 1,500,621 | 1,459,197 |
| 0-4 | 1,778,333 | 1,721,860 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,213,131 |
| 1960 | 2,876,331 |
| 1970 | 3,738,448 |
| 1980 | 5,936,154 |
| 1990 | 7,082,811 |
| 2000 | 8,838,713 |
| 2010 | 12,261,756 |
| 2020 | 16,651,191 |
| 2030 | 22,915,044 |
| 2040 | 29,896,287 |
| 2050 | 37,206,512 |
| 2060 | 44,852,917 |
| 2070 | 52,028,355 |
| 2080 | 58,378,679 |
| 2090 | 63,508,877 |
| 2100 | 67,364,024 |
How Somalia Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Somalia | 19.7M |
Countries Bordering Somalia
3 land borders.
Somalia Population FAQ
Is the population of Somalia growing or shrinking?
Somalia's population is growing at +3.34% per year, a change of roughly 656,468 people annually.
What is the capital of Somalia?
The capital of Somalia is Mogadishu.
How densely populated is Somalia?
Somalia has 29/km² across 627,340 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Somalia?
Life expectancy at birth in Somalia is 59.0 years (2024).
What is the median age in Somalia?
The median age in Somalia is 15.6 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Somalia in?
Somalia is in Africa.