Statistical information Somalia 2017
Somalia in the World
Somalia - Introduction 2017
top of pageBackground:
Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969 a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule characterized by the persecution jailing and torture of political opponents and dissidents. After the regime's collapse early in 1991 Somalia descended into turmoil factional fighting and anarchy. In May 1991 northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal Woqooyi Galbeed Togdheer Sanaag and Sool. Although not recognized by any government this entity has maintained a stable existence and continues efforts to establish a constitutional democracy including holding municipal parliamentary and presidential elections. The regions of Bari Nugaal and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring semi-autonomous state of Puntland which has been self-governing since 1998 but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing a legitimate representative government but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims the regions of Sool and Sanaag and portions of Togdheer. Beginning in 1993 a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in south-central Somalia) was able to alleviate famine conditions but when the UN withdrew in 1995 having suffered significant casualties order still had not been restored.
In 2000 the Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) held in Djibouti resulted in the formation of an interim government known as the Transitional National Government (TNG). When the TNG failed to establish adequate security or governing institutions the Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) led a subsequent peace process that concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of a second interim government known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of the Somali Republic. The TFG included a 275-member parliamentary body known as the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). President YUSUF resigned late in 2008 while UN-sponsored talks between the TFG and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) were underway in Djibouti. In January 2009 following the creation of a TFG-ARS unity government Ethiopian military forces which had entered Somalia in December 2006 to support the TFG in the face of advances by the opposition Islamic Courts Union (ICU) withdrew from the country. The TFP was doubled in size to 550 seats with the addition of 200 ARS and 75 civil society members of parliament. The expanded parliament elected Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed the former ICU and ARS chairman as president in January 2009. The creation of the TFG was based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC) which outlined a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. In 2009 the TFP amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate until 2011 and in 2011 Somali principals agreed to institute political transition by August 2012. The transition process ended in September 2012 when clan elders replaced the TFP by appointing 275 members to a new parliament who subsequently elected a new president.
In 2000 the Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) held in Djibouti resulted in the formation of an interim government known as the Transitional National Government (TNG). When the TNG failed to establish adequate security or governing institutions the Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) led a subsequent peace process that concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of a second interim government known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of the Somali Republic. The TFG included a 275-member parliamentary body known as the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). President YUSUF resigned late in 2008 while UN-sponsored talks between the TFG and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) were underway in Djibouti. In January 2009 following the creation of a TFG-ARS unity government Ethiopian military forces which had entered Somalia in December 2006 to support the TFG in the face of advances by the opposition Islamic Courts Union (ICU) withdrew from the country. The TFP was doubled in size to 550 seats with the addition of 200 ARS and 75 civil society members of parliament. The expanded parliament elected Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed the former ICU and ARS chairman as president in January 2009. The creation of the TFG was based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC) which outlined a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. In 2009 the TFP amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate until 2011 and in 2011 Somali principals agreed to institute political transition by August 2012. The transition process ended in September 2012 when clan elders replaced the TFP by appointing 275 members to a new parliament who subsequently elected a new president.
Somalia - Geography 2017
top of pageLocation: Eastern Africa bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean east of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N 49 00 E
Map reference: Africa
Area
Total: 637,657 km²
Land: 627,337 km²
Water: 10,320 km²
Rank: 45
Comparative: almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
Total: 2,385 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1640 km; Kenya 684 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm
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
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Elevation
Mean elevation: 410 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m: highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore tin gypsum bauxite copper salt natural gas likely oil reserves
Land use
Land use
Agricultural land: 70.3%
arable land: 1.8%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pasture: 68.5%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pasture: 68.5%
Forest: 10.6%
Other: 19.1%
Irrigated land: 2000 km² (2012)
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Geography
Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Somalia - People 2017
top of pagePopulation
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: 11,031,386
Note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare
Rank: 83
Growth rate: 2% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 49
Below poverty line: NA%
Nationality
Noun: Somali
Adjective: Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85% Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)
Languages: Somali (official according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter) Arabic (official according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter) Italian English
Religions: Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)
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 and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 6 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 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 third highest source country for refugees after Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity drought floods food shortages and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors.
As of 2016 more than 1.1 million Somali refugees were hosted in the region mainly in Kenya Yemen Egypt Ethiopia Djibouti and Uganda while more than 1.1 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya Somalia and the UNHCR in 2013 nearly 40,000 Somali refugees have returned home from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp – still houses to approximately 260,000 Somalis. The flow sped up rapidly after the Kenyan Government in May 2016 announced its intention to close the camp worsening security and humanitarian conditions in receiving communities in south-central Somalia. Despite the conflict in Yemen thousands of Somalis and other refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen and beyond (often Saudi Arabia). Bossaso in Puntland overtook Obock Djibouti as the primary departure point in mid-2014.
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 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 third highest source country for refugees after Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity drought floods food shortages and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors.
As of 2016 more than 1.1 million Somali refugees were hosted in the region mainly in Kenya Yemen Egypt Ethiopia Djibouti and Uganda while more than 1.1 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya Somalia and the UNHCR in 2013 nearly 40,000 Somali refugees have returned home from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp – still houses to approximately 260,000 Somalis. The flow sped up rapidly after the Kenyan Government in May 2016 announced its intention to close the camp worsening security and humanitarian conditions in receiving communities in south-central Somalia. Despite the conflict in Yemen thousands of Somalis and other refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen and beyond (often Saudi Arabia). Bossaso in Puntland overtook Obock Djibouti as the primary departure point in mid-2014.
Age structure
Age structure
0-14 years: 43.15%
15-24 years: 19.04%
25-54 years: 31.43%
55-64 years: 4.2%
65 years and over: 2.19% (2017 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 97.4
Youth dependency ratio: 92.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.3
Potential support ratio: 18.8
Median age
Total: 18.1 years
Male: 18.3 years
Female: 17.9 years
Rank: 216
Population growth rate: 2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 49
Birth rate: 39.6 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 9
Death rate: 13.1 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 14
Net migration rate: -6.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 201
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
Urbanization
Urban population: 40.5% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.05% annual rate of change
Major urban areas
Population: MOGADISHU (capital) 2.138 million; Hargeysa 760,000 (2015)
Environment
Current issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Desertification Endangered Species Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1 male/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male/female
25-54 years: 1.07 male/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio: 732 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Rank: 6
Infant mortality rate
Total: 94.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 103.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 86 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 2
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.8 years
Male: 50.7 years
Female: 54.9 years
Rank: 218
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 5
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source:
urban: 69.6% of population
rural: 8.8% of population
total: 31.7% of population
urban: 30.4% of population
rural: 91.2% of population
total: 68.3% of population (2011 est.)
rural: 8.8% of population
total: 31.7% of population
urban: 30.4% of population
rural: 91.2% of population
total: 68.3% of population (2011 est.)
Current health expenditure
Physicians density: 0.03 physicians/1000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 52% of population
rural: 6.3% of population
total: 23.6% of population
urban: 48% of population
rural: 93.7% of population
total: 76.4% of population (2011 est.)
rural: 6.3% of population
total: 23.6% of population
urban: 48% of population
rural: 93.7% of population
total: 76.4% of population (2011 est.)
Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 78
People living with hivaids: 24,000 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 72
Deaths: 1700 (2016 est.)
Deaths rank: 55
Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever malaria and Rift Valley fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.3% (2016)
Rank: 153
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 23% (2009)
Rank: 9
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Somalia - Government 2017
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Federal Republic of Somalia
Conventional short form: Somalia
Local long form: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalkaa Soomaaliya
Local short form: Soomaaliya
Former: Somali Republic Somali Democratic Republic
Etymology: 'Land of the Somali'
Government type: federal parliamentary republic
Capital
Name: Mogadishu
Geographic coordinates: 2 04 N 45 20 E
Time difference: UTC+3
Administrative divisions: 18 regions (plural - NA singular - gobolka); 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
Dependent areas
Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday: Foundation of the Somali Republic 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Constitution
History: previous 1961 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012 approved 1 August 2012
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
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law Islamic law and customary law (referred to as Xeer)
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo'
Head of government: Prime Minister Hassan Ali KHAYRE
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister approved by the House of the People
Electionsappointments: 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 8 February 2017 ; prime minister appointed by the president approved by the House of the People
Election results: Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' elected president; Federal Parliament second round vote - Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' 184 HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 97 Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 46
Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Federal Parliament to consist of an Upper House and the House of the People (275 seats; members elected by regional delegates to serve 4-year terms)
Note: the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; in elections in 2016 and 2017 the Federal Parliament became bicameral with elections scheduled for 10 October 2016 for the Upper House and 23 October to 10 November 2016 for the House of the People; while the elections were delayed they were eventually held in most regions despite voting irregularities; on 27 December 2016 41 Upper House senators and 242 House of the People members were sworn in
Judicial branch
Highest court: the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court ; note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and an Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution either secular traditional Somali customary law or sharia 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
Political parties and leaders:
United and Democratic Party [Salad Ali JELLE]
United Somali Parliamentarians
United Somali Parliamentarians
International organization participation: ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AU CAEU (candidate) 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 UNIDO UPU WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed Issa AWAD
In the us chancery: 425 East 61st Street Suite 702 New York City NY 10,021
In the us telephone: [1] 688-9,410 688-5,046
In the us FAX: [1] 759-0651
From the us: the US Mission to Somalia operating out of the US Embassy in Nairobi Kenya is headed by Ambassador (vacant)
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)
National symbols: leopard; national colors: blue white
National anthem
Name: 'Qolobaa Calankeed'
Lyrics and music: lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE
Note: adopted 2012; written in 1959
National heritage
Somalia - Economy 2017
top of pageEconomy overview:
Despite the lack of effective national governance Somalia maintains an informal economy largely based on livestock remittance/money transfer companies and telecommunications. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue and external debt – mostly in arrears – was estimated at 93% of GDP in 2014.
Agriculture is the most important sector with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood make up a large portion of the population. Economic activity is estimated to have increased by 3.7% in 2016 because of growth in the agriculture construction and telecommunications sector. Somalia's small industrial sector based on the processing of agricultural products has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal.
In recent years Somalia's capital city Mogadishu has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations supermarkets and airline flights to Turkey since the collapse of central authority in 1991. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Formalized economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu and a few regional capitals and within the city security concerns dominate business. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia continues to threaten these services’ ability to operate in Western nations.
Agriculture is the most important sector with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood make up a large portion of the population. Economic activity is estimated to have increased by 3.7% in 2016 because of growth in the agriculture construction and telecommunications sector. Somalia's small industrial sector based on the processing of agricultural products has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal.
In recent years Somalia's capital city Mogadishu has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations supermarkets and airline flights to Turkey since the collapse of central authority in 1991. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Formalized economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu and a few regional capitals and within the city security concerns dominate business. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia continues to threaten these services’ ability to operate in Western nations.
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$16.77 billion (2016 est.)
$16.04 billion (2015 est.)
$15.32 billion (2014 est.)
$16.04 billion (2015 est.)
$15.32 billion (2014 est.)
Note: data are in 2016 US dollars
Rank: 177
Real gdp growth rate:
3.2% (2016 est.)
3.6% (2015 est.)
3.6% (2014 est.)
3.6% (2015 est.)
3.6% (2014 est.)
Rank: 72
Real gdp per capita:
$N/A (2016 est.)
$N/A (2015 est.)
$N/A (2014 est.)
$N/A (2015 est.)
$N/A (2014 est.)
Rank: 230
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 72.1%
Government consumption: 8.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 19.8%
Investment in inventories: 0.8%
Exports of goods and services: 0.3%
Imports of goods and services: -1.7%
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 60.2%
Industry: 7.4%
Services: 32.5%
Agriculture products: bananas sorghum corn coconuts rice sugarcane mangoes sesame seeds beans; cattle sheep goats; fish
Industries: light industries including sugar refining textiles wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2014 est.)
Rank: 65
Labor force: 4.154 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 91
By occupation agriculture: 71%
By occupation industry and services: 29%
Labor force
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line: NA%
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Revenues: $145.3 million
Expenditures: $151.1 million
Surplus or deficit: -0.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 46
Taxes and other revenues: 2.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 219
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: NA
Inflation rate consumer prices:
1.5% (2016 est.)
-71.1% (2014 est.)
-71.1% (2014 est.)
Rank: 109
Central bank discount rate: NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance: $-640 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 106
Exports:
$819 million (2014 est.)
$779 million (2013 est.)
$779 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 162
Commodities: livestock bananas hides fish charcoal scrap metal
Partners: Saudi Arabia 37.2% Oman 22.7% UAE 16.3% (2016)
Imports:
$3.482 billion (2014 est.)
$3.322 billion (2013 est.)
$3.322 billion (2013 est.)
Rank: 135
Commodities: manufactures petroleum products foodstuffs construction materials qat
Partners: India 26.3% China 20.8% Oman 9.1% Kenya 8.3% Turkey 6% Malaysia 4.3% Brazil 4.2% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $30.45 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 173
Debt external:
$5.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$2.892 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$2.892 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 131
Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -
23,960 (2016 est.)
20,227 (2013 est.)
23,960 (2016 est.)
20,227 (2013 est.)
Somalia - Energy 2017
top of pageElectricity
Access population without electricity: 8,900,000
Access electrification total population: 15%
Access electrification urban areas: 33%
Access electrification rural areas: 4%
Production: 344 million kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 177
Consumption: 319.9 million kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 182
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 198
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 202
Installed generating capacity: 81,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 182
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 34
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 183
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 204
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 134
Coal
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 195
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 191
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 190
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 194
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 198
Products consumption: 5,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 174
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 198
Products imports: 5,679 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 163
Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 195
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 183
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 188
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2017 es)
Proven reserves rank: 94
Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 900,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 166
Energy consumption per capita
Somalia - Communication 2017
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 48,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 157
Mobile cellular total: 6,653,040
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62
Mobile cellular rank: 113
Telephone system
General assessment: the public telecom system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging some of the lowest rates on the continent
Domestic: seven networks compete for customers in the mobile sector; some of these mobile-service providers offer fixed-line and Internet services
International: country code - 252; Mogadishu is a landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America; this connection ended the country's expensive satellite-dependent Internet access
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 (2007)
Internet
Country code: .so
Users total: 203,366
Users percent of population: 1.9%
Users rank: 164
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Somalia - Military 2017
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)
Space program
Terrorist groups
Somalia - Transportation 2017
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 251,652
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 6O (2016)
Airports: 61 (2013)
Rank: 81
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 55
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 20
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6
Heliports
Pipelines
Railways
Roadways
Total: 22,100 km
Paved: 2,608 km
Unpaved: 19,492 km
Rank: 105
Waterways
Merchant marine
Total: 5
By type: general cargo 2 other 3
Rank: 156
Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Berbera Kismaayo
Somalia - Transnational issues 2017
top of pageDisputes international: Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; 'Somaliland' secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states; 'Puntland' and 'Somaliland' 'governments' seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 10,449 (Yemen) (2017)
IDPs: 1,106,751 (2017)
Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons
