Population growth in Somalia
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Somalia increased from 2.76 million to 16.36 million people. This is a growth by 493.6 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Somalia was recorded in 1977 with 12.23%. The biggest decrease in 1984 with -0.06%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 158.5 percent.
The average age in Somalia rose by 2.25 years from 2012 to 2020 from 16.25 to 18.50 years (median value).
Around 47% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 4.2% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Somalia
Population development in Somalia since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Somalia | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.81 M | 2.11 % | 47.5 ‰ | 26.4 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 2.87 M | 2.14 % | 47.4 ‰ | 26.0 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 2.94 M | 2.17 % | 47.3 ‰ | 25.6 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 3.00 M | 2.20 % | 47.3 ‰ | 25.2 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 3.07 M | 2.24 % | 47.2 ‰ | 24.9 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 3.14 M | 2.45 % | 47.1 ‰ | 24.5 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 3.23 M | 2.68 % | 47.0 ‰ | 24.2 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 3.31 M | 2.63 % | 46.9 ‰ | 23.8 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 3.39 M | 2.23 % | 46.8 ‰ | 23.5 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 3.44 M | 1.71 % | 46.6 ‰ | 23.1 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 3.47 M | 0.81 % | 46.4 ‰ | 22.8 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 3.48 M | 0.21 % | 46.1 ‰ | 22.4 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 3.51 M | 0.94 % | 45.8 ‰ | 22.0 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 3.63 M | 3.43 % | 45.4 ‰ | 21.7 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 3.88 M | 6.81 % | 45.0 ‰ | 21.3 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 4.28 M | 10.27 % | 44.7 ‰ | 20.9 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 4.80 M | 12.23 % | 44.4 ‰ | 20.6 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 5.38 M | 11.93 % | 44.1 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 5.89 M | 9.63 % | 44.0 ‰ | 19.9 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 6.28 M | 6.59 % | 44.0 ‰ | 19.6 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 6.51 M | 3.66 % | 44.1 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 6.61 M | 1.49 % | 44.3 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 6.62 M | 0.16 % | 44.7 ‰ | 18.9 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 6.61 M | -0.06 % | 45.1 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 6.65 M | 0.51 % | 45.6 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 6.74 M | 1.33 % | 46.1 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 6.86 M | 1.86 % | 46.8 ‰ | 18.8 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 7.01 M | 2.08 % | 47.4 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 7.13 M | 1.83 % | 48.0 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 7.23 M | 1.29 % | 48.5 ‰ | 19.6 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 7.27 M | 0.68 % | 49.0 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 7.30 M | 0.29 % | 49.4 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 7.32 M | 0.28 % | 49.8 ‰ | 19.5 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 7.37 M | 0.78 % | 50.1 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 7.49 M | 1.61 % | 50.3 ‰ | 18.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 7.68 M | 2.55 % | 50.3 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 7.94 M | 3.30 % | 50.2 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 8.24 M | 3.77 % | 49.9 ‰ | 16.4 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 8.55 M | 3.87 % | 49.5 ‰ | 15.9 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 8.87 M | 3.73 % | 49.0 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 9.19 M | 3.54 % | 48.5 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 9.50 M | 3.42 % | 48.0 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 9.82 M | 3.31 % | 47.4 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 10.13 M | 3.21 % | 46.9 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 10.45 M | 3.13 % | 46.5 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 10.76 M | 3.03 % | 46.1 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 11.08 M | 2.94 % | 45.6 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 11.40 M | 2.86 % | 45.1 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 11.72 M | 2.81 % | 44.7 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 12.04 M | 2.78 % | 44.2 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 12.38 M | 2.76 % | 43.7 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 12.72 M | 2.74 % | 43.3 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 13.06 M | 2.74 % | 42.9 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 13.42 M | 2.75 % | 42.6 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 13.80 M | 2.78 % | 42.3 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2016 | 14.19 M | 2.82 % | 42.1 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
| 2017 | 14.59 M | 2.84 % | 41.9 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 15.01 M | 2.87 % | 41.8 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 7,603 M | 1.11 % | |
| 2019 | 15.44 M | 2.90 % | 41.6 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 7,684 M | 1.07 % | |
| 2020 | 15.89 M | 2.92 % | 41.4 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 7,764 M | 1.04 % | |
| 2021 | 16.36 M | 2.93 % | 7,837 M | 0.94 % |
Birth- and deathrate in Somalia
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Somalia increased by about 450,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 10.5 per 1000 people (~ 162,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 41.4 per 1000 people (~ 639,000 births). As a result, around 27,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 160,383 in Somalia. The number of births was 594,144 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison
Recent earthquakes and their magnitudes in the United States