Somalia Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Somalia is 20,503,678 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 19,009,151 in 2024.

Somalia is ranked 66/197 by population and was ranked 75th in 2006.
Somalia is projected to reach 68.4M people in 2100.
Since 2006, population has increased from 11M people to 20.5M (86.8% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Somalia has had an average growth rate of 4.34% per year.
Somalia accounts for 0.25% of the world's population.

Somalia population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	68,384,185	0.51%
2099	68,040,371	0.5%
2098	67,702,230	0.5%
2097	67,362,336	0.58%
2096	66,972,933	0.58%
2095	66,585,659	0.61%
2094	66,179,819	0.64%
2093	65,760,590	0.67%
2092	65,324,261	0.73%
2091	64,852,843	0.76%
2090	64,362,727	0.69%
2089	63,922,797	0.72%
2088	63,464,036	0.76%
2087	62,987,028	0.86%
2086	62,447,029	0.93%
2085	61,873,597	0.9%
2084	61,318,916	0.92%
2083	60,761,800	0.95%
2082	60,187,980	0.86%
2081	59,676,722	0.97%
2080	59,100,915	1.07%
2079	58,477,428	1.08%
2078	57,852,528	1.12%
2077	57,211,821	1.08%
2076	56,602,463	1.07%
2075	56,005,600	1.22%
2074	55,330,165	1.24%
2073	54,651,918	1.25%
2072	53,978,548	1.3%
2071	53,284,016	1.35%
2070	52,573,210	1.34%
2069	51,878,214	1.33%
2068	51,197,653	1.4%
2067	50,493,028	1.43%
2066	49,779,172	1.54%
2065	49,024,665	1.57%
2064	48,265,876	1.56%
2063	47,522,361	1.57%
2062	46,785,920	1.63%
2061	46,037,526	1.81%
2060	45,220,507	1.85%
2059	44,397,936	1.69%
2058	43,659,021	1.78%
2057	42,897,422	1.84%
2056	42,121,542	1.94%
2055	41,318,179	1.99%
2054	40,513,141	1.93%
2053	39,744,995	1.93%
2052	38,992,177	2%
2051	38,228,872	2.02%
2050	37,471,735	1.99%
2049	36,739,905	2.1%
2048	35,984,999	2.18%
2047	35,218,863	2.2%
2046	34,462,403	2.21%
2045	33,717,596	2.24%
2044	32,977,674	2.26%
2043	32,247,710	2.25%
2042	31,537,272	2.41%
2041	30,794,853	2.54%
2040	30,032,324	2.45%
2039	29,312,883	2.55%
2038	28,583,386	2.68%
2037	27,838,646	2.67%
2036	27,114,453	2.76%
2035	26,385,421	2.72%
2034	25,687,629	2.67%
2033	25,018,509	2.79%
2032	24,338,597	2.88%
2031	23,657,353	3.01%
2030	22,965,742	2.99%
2029	22,299,610	2.99%
2028	21,651,582	3.14%
2027	20,991,860	3.29%
2026	20,322,668	3.33%
2025	19,666,990	3.46%
2024	19,009,151	3.54%
2023	18,358,615	3.13%
2022	17,801,897	3.07%
2021	17,271,431	3.72%
2020	16,651,191	3.87%
2019	16,030,971	3.74%
2018	15,452,487	3.59%
2017	14,916,629	3.96%
2016	14,348,740	3.92%
2015	13,806,963	3.5%
2014	13,339,491	3.65%
2013	12,869,594	3.28%
2012	12,461,160	0.91%
2011	12,348,830	0.71%
2010	12,261,756	2.51%
2009	11,961,201	2.56%
2008	11,663,084	3.01%
2007	11,322,582	3.16%
2006	10,975,502	3.11%
2005	10,644,228	3.53%
2004	10,280,998	3.75%
2003	9,909,157	3.76%
2002	9,550,063	3.82%
2001	9,198,493	4.07%
2000	8,838,713	4.08%
1999	8,492,059	4.13%
1998	8,155,417	4.23%
1997	7,824,525	3.57%
1996	7,554,474	3.7%
1995	7,285,007	3.67%
1994	7,026,797	5.17%
1993	6,681,399	2.87%
1992	6,495,107	-4.68%
1991	6,813,760	-3.8%
1990	7,082,811	-0.45%
1989	7,114,817	-1.67%
1988	7,235,360	0.1%
1987	7,228,302	3.63%
1986	6,974,788	4.21%
1985	6,693,289	4.12%
1984	6,428,389	3.71%
1983	6,198,430	3.24%
1982	6,003,840	0.35%
1981	5,982,849	0.79%
1980	5,936,154	8.94%
1979	5,449,117	13.2%
1978	4,814,892	7.38%
1977	4,484,050	2.71%
1976	4,365,812	2.54%
1975	4,257,535	2.55%
1974	4,151,842	2.63%
1973	4,045,592	2.69%
1972	3,939,436	2.65%
1971	3,837,691	2.65%
1970	3,738,448	2.68%
1969	3,641,015	2.66%
1968	3,546,590	2.66%
1967	3,454,537	2.66%
1966	3,365,106	2.66%
1965	3,277,874	2.66%
1964	3,192,796	2.65%
1963	3,110,361	2.65%
1962	3,030,091	2.64%
1961	2,952,054	2.63%
1960	2,876,331	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/somalia | CC BY

Somalia has a population of 20.5M as of 2026, compared to 14.3M in 2016, 11M in 2006, and 7.55M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 4.29% per year. Somalia is ranked 2nd out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Somalia will have 34,462,403 people (68.1% growth) with a rank change from 66th to 57th.

By the year 2100, Somalia's population is projected to grow by 233.5% from its current level to 68.4M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	12,077
2024	-	-	26,859
2023	654,420	608,203	46,217
2022	459,016	551,450	-92,434
2021	601,905	566,399	35,506
2020	638,570	561,311	77,259
2019	601,880	548,756	53,124
2018	555,088	514,244	40,844
2017	516,623	478,556	38,067
2016	619,149	495,132	124,017
2015	464,395	481,573	-17,178
2014	470,546	464,481	6,065
2013	469,241	448,518	20,723
2012	347,635	399,468	-51,833
2011	-122,979	203,213	-326,192
2010	297,123	385,571	-88,448
2009	303,989	405,784	-101,795
2008	292,223	394,258	-102,035
2007	388,779	380,303	8,476
2006	305,397	372,597	-67,200
2005	357,162	363,117	-5,955
2004	369,312	351,959	17,353
2003	374,366	341,192	33,174
2002	343,818	331,215	12,603
2001	359,333	319,059	40,274
2000	360,231	306,651	53,580
1999	333,071	295,523	37,548
1998	340,205	284,779	55,426
1997	321,586	271,894	49,692
1996	218,516	264,807	-46,291
1995	320,397	254,509	65,888
1994	196,029	246,950	-50,921
1993	494,775	232,960	261,815
1992	-122,180	57,495	-179,675
1991	-515,114	53,052	-568,166
1990	-22,993	225,162	-248,155
1989	-41,026	225,255	-266,281
1988	-200,061	215,599	-415,660
1987	214,189	231,580	-17,391
1986	292,840	218,416	74,424
1985	270,143	207,960	62,183
1984	259,647	199,017	60,630
1983	200,280	190,775	9,505
1982	188,908	182,793	6,115
1981	-146,918	185,211	-332,129
1980	240,309	174,790	65,519
1979	733,762	151,016	582,746
1978	534,694	132,689	402,005
1977	126,988	124,818	2,170
1976	109,488	113,319	-3,831
1975	107,064	108,998	-1,934
1974	104,318	104,813	-495
1973	108,181	108,038	143
1972	104,142	104,493	-351
1971	99,346	101,196	-1,850
1970	99,129	98,025	1,104
1969	95,735	95,045	690
1968	93,114	92,208	906
1967	90,995	89,497	1,498
1966	87,871	86,930	941
1965	86,590	84,448	2,142
1964	83,560	82,042	1,518
1963	81,308	79,859	1,449
1962	79,233	77,737	1,496
1961	76,849	75,513	1,336
1960	74,600	73,850	750

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/somalia | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 94.4% of the population change in Somalia is from natural causes (a gain of 5,270,105 people) and 5.58% is from migration (a gain of 311,487 people).

As of 2024, 77,972 residents or 0.4% of the population were not native-born in Somalia, compared to 48,106 and 0.4% in 2010.

Somalia population clock

	Somalia	Rank
Current population	20503678	66/197
Percent of world population	0.25%	66/197
One net population change	48.5 seconds	34/197
One birth every	40 seconds	38/196
One death every	2.91 minutes	62/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,782	34/197
Annual growth/decline	+650,536	34/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+3.54%	8/197
One migration net change every	43.6 minutes	40/196
Annual migration change	+12,077	40/196
Foreign-born residents	77,972	140/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.4%	180/195

Largest cities by population

Somalia
City	Population
Mogadishu	2.12M
Hargeisa	1.23M
Baidoa	1.2M
Borama	68.1K

Somalia population statistics

	Somalia	World
Life expectancy	59.3 years	73.8 years
Average age	21.2 years	33.8 years
Median age	16.6 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.1:49.9	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	6.13 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	83.9 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Somalia.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/somalia | CC BY