01
Physical geography
Mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north.
Local timeMogadishu ·
Africa / Eastern Africa · Card 048
Somalia
Somalia is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Mogadishu.
Find Somalia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Languages
- Arabic & Somali
- Currency
- Somali shilling (SOS)
- Population
- 19.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 637,657 km²246,201 square miles
- Independence
- 1960
Somalia in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Mogadishu; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic, Somali.
03
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia.
Flag
Light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center
History & independence
British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 and united with the former Italian-administered trust territory on 1 July to form Somalia. The central government collapsed in 1991. Federal institutions were established under a provisional constitution in 2012.
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Union forms the Somali Republic
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The central government collapses
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A provisional federal constitution is adopted
Economy
Main activities
Livestock, agriculture, trade, telecommunications and remittances are important. Ports link the economy to Gulf and regional markets. Conflict, drought and infrastructure constraints affect livelihoods and investment.
Industry and production
light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people19.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,738,448 | 3.738 |
| 1980 | 5,936,154 | 5.936 |
| 1990 | 7,082,811 | 7.083 |
| 2000 | 8,838,713 | 8.839 |
| 2010 | 12,261,756 | 12.262 |
| 2020 | 16,651,191 | 16.651 |
| 2025 | 19,654,739 | 19.655 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars9.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,837,281,328 | 1.837 |
| 1991 | 1,891,491,616 | 1.891 |
| 1992 | 1,730,935,689 | 1.731 |
| 1993 | 1,800,010,346 | 1.800 |
| 1994 | 1,478,762,689 | 1.479 |
| 1995 | 1,537,774,140 | 1.538 |
| 1996 | 1,661,503,679 | 1.662 |
| 1997 | 1,681,117,594 | 1.681 |
| 1998 | 1,791,844,291 | 1.792 |
| 1999 | 1,922,976,751 | 1.923 |
| 2000 | 2,059,706,442 | 2.060 |
| 2001 | 2,206,158,044 | 2.206 |
| 2002 | 2,374,493,800 | 2.374 |
| 2003 | 2,555,674,024 | 2.556 |
| 2004 | 2,737,390,479 | 2.737 |
| 2005 | 2,932,027,546 | 2.932 |
| 2006 | 3,122,209,723 | 3.122 |
| 2007 | 3,331,221,430 | 3.331 |
| 2008 | 3,554,225,116 | 3.554 |
| 2009 | 3,792,157,453 | 3.792 |
| 2010 | 4,046,017,819 | 4.046 |
| 2011 | 4,316,872,490 | 4.317 |
| 2012 | 4,605,859,127 | 4.606 |
| 2013 | 5,110,628,983 | 5.111 |
| 2014 | 5,569,461,555 | 5.569 |
| 2015 | 6,152,149,100 | 6.152 |
| 2016 | 6,584,944,951 | 6.585 |
| 2017 | 7,555,288,980 | 7.555 |
| 2018 | 7,710,498,420 | 7.710 |
| 2019 | 7,926,418,062 | 7.926 |
| 2020 | 7,707,287,719 | 7.707 |
| 2021 | 7,972,973,226 | 7.973 |
| 2022 | 8,189,695,543 | 8.190 |
| 2023 | 8,531,635,198 | 8.532 |
| 2024 | 8,882,404,281 | 8.882 |
| 2025 | 9,148,089,787 | 9.148 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.404Low human developmentRank 192 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20230.404
58.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
1.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federal parliamentary republic. Federal Parliament has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). Government is formed through the parliamentary system.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Somalia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Somalia’s ports connect its economy with which markets mentioned in the profile?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.