Somalia

Somalia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	199th best
Capital	Mogadishu
Land Area	627 340km21
Location	Africa
Population	15.0m2
Life Expectancy	55.28yrs (2017)3
GNI	$1 018 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SO, SOM, 7065
Internet Domain	.so6
Currency	Shilling (SOS)7
Telephone	+2528

1. Overview
2. Somalia National and Social Development
3. Somalia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Somalia's Health
6. Somalia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Somalia's Modernity and Learning
8. Religion and Beliefs
9. Links

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1. Overview

“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 portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) 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 United Nations-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 appointed 275 members to a new parliament replacing the TFP and the subsequent election, by parliament, of a new president.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“A nation troubled and torn asunder, ... Somalia... may be set to emerge from decades of torment and trauma that brought it to international attention - most notably as a country beset by famine and militias - but like Puntland (a neighbouring, semi-autonomous state that has been self-governing since 1998), the haunt of pirates and smugglers, Mogadishu and parts thereabouts remain firm no-go zones for all Westerners. Yet the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland has risen from the ashes by restoring law and order within its boundaries.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Somalia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
186	Liberia	$1 289
187	Niger	$1 240
188	Mozambique	$1 198
189	Congo, DR	$1 076
190	Somalia	$1 018
191	Central African Rep.	$0 966
192	S. Sudan	$0 768
193	Burundi	$0 732
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
192	Sudan	134.4
193	Equatorial Guinea	135.7
194	Angola	136.4
195	Vatican City	142.5
196	Eritrea	146.0
197	S. Sudan	150.8
198	Western Sahara	151.9
199	Somalia	158.4
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Somalia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Somalia's population is predicted to rise to 16.36 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 6.20. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
69	Cambodia	16.2m
70	Senegal	15.9m
71	Chad	15.5m
72	Somalia	15.0m
73	Zimbabwe	14.4m
74	Guinea	12.4m
75	Rwanda	12.3m
76	Tunisia	11.6m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
187	Guinea	58.9
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
205	Congo, DR	6.11
206	Somalia	6.20
207	Chad	6.22
208	Niger	6.75
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
11	Zimbabwe	05.0
12	Nigeria	05.1
13=	Qatar	05.1
14	Somalia	05.4
15=	Togo	05.4
16	Ivory Coast	05.6
17=	Malawi	05.6
17=	Senegal	05.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
179	Haiti	0.4%
180	Brazil	0.4%
181	Eritrea	0.3%
182	Somalia	0.3%
183	Lesotho	0.3%
184	Peru	0.3%
185	Colombia	0.3%
186	Morocco	0.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
73	Slovakia	9.6%
74	Morocco	9.3%
75	Sri Lanka	9.1%
76	Somalia	8.7%
77	Kuwait	8.5%
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
80	Afghanistan	8.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #somalia #somalia_human_rights #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
194	Equatorial Guinea	146.0
195	Sudan	150.2
196	Eritrea	153.3
197	Afghanistan	155.8
198	N. Korea	162.3
199	Somalia	165.8
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Somalia is amongst the very worst places in the world at ensuring any human rights and freedoms, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Somalia does worse than average in supporting press freedom₁₉, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₀ (one of the worst in Africa) and in freethought₂₁. It falls into the worst 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂, eliminating modern slavery₂₃, opposing gender inequality₂₄ (amongst the highest in Africa) and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom for LGBT equality₂₅. "Somalia´s armed conflict, abuses by all warring parties, and a new humanitariancrisis [continues] to take a devastating toll on civilians₂₆". The country has no moral anchor nor effective defenders of human rights; where protections exist, they are often part of the problem rather than a good solution; for example, sexual violence is classified as being against "honour" and "modesty" rather than being fundamentally wrong in its own right₂₆ and Shariah courts are sometimes permitted to take place instead of ordinary judicial processes. Much needs to change, and it cannot all be blamed on historical issues: prejudice against LGBT folk is a result of poor moral thinking, not a result of poverty or conflict.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Somalia

5. Somalia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #niger #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #somalia #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
45	Burkina Faso	157.5
46	Uganda	159.0
47	Chad	163.2
48	Somalia	163.7
49	Niger	164.3
50	Mali	165.1
51	Ivory Coast	166.4
52	Nigeria	166.5
53	Angola	170.3
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)27
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank27
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
203	Burkina Faso	157.5
204	Uganda	159.0
205	Chad	163.2
206	Somalia	163.7
207	Niger	164.3
208	Mali	165.1
209	Ivory Coast	166.4
210	Nigeria	166.5
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₈.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₈, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₈.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Somalia is a pretty unhealthy country. Somalia performs the best in its alcohol consumption rate₂₉. It does better than average in its smoking rate₃₀. When it comes to most other metrics, Somalia does not do well. It falls into the worst 20 for its adolescent birth rate₃₁, its average life expectancy₁₁, its immunizations take-up₃₂ (one of the lowest in Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (one of the highest in Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Somalia in 1990 was 47.1yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6, and it was the worst in the world in 1991. It improved by +10yrs in the 30 years from then, better than the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. It Somalia had the 2nd-highest average fertility rate in the world in the 2000s and 2010s (after Niger). Its peak fertility rate occurred during a spike to 7.66 in 1997.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
187	Guinea	58.9
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better29
Pos.		2016 Per Capita29
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
6	Yemen	0.1
7=	Afghanistan	0.2
7=	Saudi Arabia	0.2
9	Syria	0.3
10=	Pakistan	0.3
11	Kiribati	0.4
12=	Iraq	0.4
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
205	Congo, DR	6.11
206	Somalia	6.20
207	Chad	6.22
208	Niger	6.75
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better30
Pos.		201430
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
25	Eritrea	114
26	Haiti	114
27	Peru	116
28	Somalia	117
29	Ghana	121
30	Benin	122
31	Zimbabwe	134
32	Mauritania	135
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Overweight Adults Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 %33
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
35=	Togo	28.1
35=	Mali	28.1
37	Indonesia	28.2
38=	Somalia	28.4
38=	Senegal	28.4
38=	Pakistan	28.4
41	Sudan	28.9
42=	Nigeria	28.9
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better31
Pos.		2022 Per 100031
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
180	Cameroon	108.6
181	Burkina Faso	108.7
182	Guinea	112.2
183	Somalia	116.1
184	Zambia	116.1
185	Malawi	117.2
186	Madagascar	118.1
187	Liberia	122.0
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better32
Pos.		2015 Avg %32
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
193	S. Sudan	45.7
194	Equatorial Guinea	36.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Somalia was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19) and going in to the 2000s it was of only two countries that saw double-digit increases in this problematic area. Although things stabilized after that, in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that still had a rate of over 100.

6. Somalia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #internationalism #over-exploitation #somalia #the_environment

Compared to Africa (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
45	Sudan	97.8
46	Comoros	99.1
47	Mauritania	101.2
48	Seychelles	103.4
49	Angola	109.5
50	Libya	121.4
51	Zimbabwe	121.5
52	Somalia	131.0
53	Eritrea	146.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
188	Tajikistan	128.6
189	Niue	129.5
190	Brunei	130.2
191	Somalia	131.0
192	N. Korea	132.3
193	Turkmenistan	134.1
194	Nauru	134.4
195	San Marino	134.9
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Somalia is positioned 9th-worst in the world (one of the worst in Africa). This rank is calculated from 2 data sets. Somalia does worse than average when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₅.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
170	N. Korea	44%
171	Sierra Leone	43%
172	Eritrea	43%
173	Somalia	43%
174	Tonga	43%
175	Kiribati	42%
176	Cook Islands	42%
177	Niue	42%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

7. Somalia's Modernity and Learning

#corruption #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #peace #politics #religious_violence #somalia #terrorism #the_internet

Modernity and Education:

IQ Higher is better36
Pos.		200636
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
122=	Nigeria	69
123	Chad	68
124=	Burkina Faso	68
124=	Somalia	68
124=	Angola	68
127	Guinea	67
128=	Liberia	67
128=	Haiti	67
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better37
Pos.		201637
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
194	Myanmar (Burma)	3%
195	Sierra Leone	2%
196	Niger	2%
197	Guinea	2%
198	Somalia	2%
199	Burundi	2%
200	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1%
201	Eritrea	1%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better38
Pos.		2022 Points38
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
173	Libya	17.0
174=	Haiti	17.0
174=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
178=	Syria	13.0
180	Somalia	12.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

In the mid-2000s Somalia began to be included in the Corruption Perception Index data; in 2008-2009 it was rated as the most corrupt country in the world and maintained the worst overall position on average throughout the 2010s.

Happiness Higher is better39
Pos.		2024 Score39
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
119	Chad	4.4
120	Burkina Faso	4.4
121	Benin	4.4
122	Somalia	4.3
123	Mali	4.3
124	Cambodia	4.3
125	Ghana	4.3
126	Myanmar (Burma)	4.3
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better40
Pos.		2023 Score40
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
153	Mali	2.96
154	Iraq	3.01
155	Sudan	3.02
156	Somalia	3.04
157	Ukraine	3.04
158	Russia	3.14
159	Congo, DR	3.21
160	S. Sudan	3.22
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better41
Pos.		2019 Score41
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
142	Philippines	7.14
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
145	Somalia	7.80
146	Pakistan	7.89
147	Syria	8.01
148	Nigeria	8.60
149	Iraq	9.24
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better42
Pos.		201942
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
177	Congo, DR	36.10
178	S. Sudan	36.20
179	Mali	36.70
180	Nigeria	37.10
181	Somalia	38.90
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
184	Chad	40.90
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_somalia #somalia

Disbelief In God (2007)43
Pos.		Higher is better %43
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
84=	Guatemala	1
84=	El Salvador	1
84=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
88=	Burkina Faso	0
88=	Brunei	0
88=	Botswana	0
88=	Syria	0
88=	Sierra Leone	0
88=	Thailand	0
88=	Togo	0
88=	Benin	0
88=	Tunisia	0
88=	Uganda	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₄₄:

Christian	0.1%
Muslim	99%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter)₄₅.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Somalia into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)₄₆.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Somalia: 4.2. Freedom of Thought