Somalia Demographics

What is the population of Somalia?

Population	11,757,124
Population - note	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
Population Growth Rate	1.67%
Urban Population	37.7%
Population in Major Urban Areas	MOGADISHU (capital) 1.554 million
Nationality Noun	Somali(s)
Nationality Adjective	Somali
Ethnic Groups	Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Languages Spoken	Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Language Note	Standard Somali with its diverse scripts based on clan affiliation, is now written in Latin script. Literacy has increased dramatically. English, Italian and Arabic are spoken by educated Somali. The Somali language stems from the Cushitic language family.

Somalia Health Information

What are the health conditions in Somalia?

Animal Contact Disease (s)	rabies
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49	14.6%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	14.22
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved	8.8%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved	68.3%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved	69.6%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s)	bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	0.7%
HIV/Aids Deaths	2,500
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births	92.82
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births	110.74
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births	101.91
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk	very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births	1,000
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	4.8%
People Living with HIV/AIDS	34,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population	.04
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved	76.4%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved	52%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved	6.3%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman	6.17
Underweight - percent of children under five years	32.8%
Vectorborne Disease (s)	dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever
Water contact disease (s)	schistosomiasis

Somalia Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Somalia?

Life Expectancy at Birth	51 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female	53 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male	49 Years
Median Age	17 Years
Median Age - female	17 Years
Median Age - male	17 Years

Somalia Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Somalia median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population	41
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	14.22
Median Age	17 Years
Median Age - female	17 Years
Median Age - male	17 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population	-10.55
Population Growth Rate	1.67%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female	1
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female	1.03
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female	1.07
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female	1.03
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female	.66

Somalia Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Somalia?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in Somalia are extremely limited. Travelers should carry personal supplies of medications with them, as many of the health clinics in Somalia lack a doctor or a nurse and carry substandard supplies.

Malaria is endemic in Somalia; chemoprophylaxis is recommended for all travelers without contraindications. There have been cholera outbreaks in Mogadishu, Kismayo in the south, and Puntland in the northeast.

Presently there is a Polio out-break in Somalia. The majority of cases have been reported in the region of Benadir, including Mogadishu.

Somalia Education

What is school like in Somalia?

Literacy - female	25.8%
Literacy - male	49.7%
Literacy - total population	37.8%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write

Somalia Literacy

Can people in Somalia read?

Literacy - female	25.8%
Literacy - male	49.7%
Literacy - total population	37.8%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language	Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Somalia Crime

Is Somalia a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Pervasive and violent crime is an extension of the general state of insecurity in Somalia. Serious, brutal, and often fatal crimes are very common. Kidnapping and robbery are a particular problem in Mogadishu, other areas of the south, and in Galmuduug and Puntland.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Somalia Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Somalia, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Somalia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Persons violating Somalia’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Somalia are severe, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.

There is no organized system of criminal justice in Somalia, nor is there any recognized or established authority to administer a uniform application of due process. Enforcement of criminal laws is, therefore, haphazard to nonexistent. Locally established courts operate throughout Somalia under a combination of Somali customary and Islamic Shari'a law, some of which may be hostile towards foreigners.

Arrest notifications in host country: Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Somalia, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. However, this is unlikely to happen as there is no U.S. diplomatic representation in Somalia.

Somalia Population Comparison

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