Somalia profile

Demography and Health

Somalia in 2024 is home to about 19.0 million people, continuing a trend of a large, youthful population in a country with limited state capacity. The crude birth rate sits at 43.0 births per 1,000 people (2023), underscoring a high fertility regime that sustains rapid population growth and places large demands on basic services such as health, education, and nutrition. The crude death rate of 9.84 per 1,000 people (2023) suggests ongoing health and demographic challenges, while life expectancy at birth remains relatively low at 58.8 years (2023), signaling gaps in access to quality health care, maternal and child health, and disease control. The under-five mortality rate is alarmingly high at 104.0 per 1,000 live births (2023), indicating persistent child health vulnerabilities and the need for focused interventions in prenatal and postnatal care, vaccination, and nutrition.

Health financing and outcomes reveal a constrained system: current health expenditure is 2.62% of GDP (2022), and domestic general government health expenditure per capita (PPP) is 2.92 international US$ (2022), pointing to limited domestic funding for health services and infrastructure. These fiscal realities intersect with high levels of poverty and undernutrition: the poverty headcount is 54.4% of the population (2022), and prevalence of undernourishment reaches 51.3% (2022), suggesting widespread food insecurity that compounds health risks, especially for children. The suicide mortality rate remains a relatively low but notable indicator at 7.96 per 100,000 (2021). Internet usage stands at 27.6% (2022), highlighting a digital divide that can hamper health information access, telemedicine, and public health messaging. Net migration is modestly positive at 26,859 (2024), indicating some level of outward movement alongside a growing population, with possible implications for labor markets and remittance flows.

Overall, Somalia’s demography and health profile reflect a young, rapidly growing population facing substantial health and nutrition challenges, limited public health funding, and a fragile health system. The combination of high birth rates, high child mortality, and widespread undernutrition creates a pressing need for investments in maternal and child health, nutrition programs, clean water and sanitation, and targeted social protection, while also leveraging digital tools to expand access to essential health information and services.

Economy

Somalia’s economy in 2024 is characterized by a low nominal GDP per capita of 637.0 US$, and a GDP at PPP of 1,601.0 international US$, signaling a low-income economy with substantial purchasing power parity adjustments that reflect differences in price levels. The export share of GDP is 20.0% (2024), while imports account for 74.3% of GDP (2024), revealing a highly open but import-dependent economy with limited domestic production of goods and a vulnerability to external shocks, supply chain disruptions, and price fluctuations. The country’s external environment is further shaped by a modest level of foreign direct investment net inflows at 6.17% of GDP (2023), which points to tangible, though not booming, investor interest and potential for structural growth if governance and security conditions improve.

Military expenditure in current US$ amounts to 143,465,000 (2023), a reminder of ongoing-security costs in a fragile setting that can constrain budget allocations for development, health, and education. Governance indicators uniformly point to weak institutional performance: Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism stands at -2.38, Regulatory Quality at -1.88, Rule of Law at -2.21, Control of Corruption at -1.73, and Government Effectiveness at -1.98 (all in 2023). These negative assessments suggest persistent policy uncertainty, difficulties in enforcing contracts, and vulnerabilities to corruption—factors that can hinder investment, credit availability, and private-sector development. The poverty rate remains high at 54.4% (2022), underscoring the macroeconomic challenges faced by the population, including the risk of social unrest and limited consumer purchasing power.

Somalia’s economy also features environmental and energy nuances that influence development. Current energy consumption is dominated by renewable sources, which account for 95.4% of total final energy consumption (2022), signaling limited reliance on fossil fuels and potential for clean energy scaling, but also potentially reflecting gaps in energy access and grid development. This energy profile interacts with the country’s trade dynamics, where a heavy import orientation and a relatively small export base constrain fiscal space and investment capacity. The combination of high poverty, limited health and education funding, and weak institutions helps explain Somalia’s modest GDP per capita growth prospects and the ongoing challenge of lifting large portions of the population out of poverty while building sustainable economic corridors.

Trade and Investment

Trade in Somalia shows a pattern of heavy reliance on imports, with imports accounting for 74.3% of GDP in 2024 and exports making up 20.0% of GDP, indicating a large trade deficit that can expose the economy to currency risk, balance of payments pressures, and external shocks. The relatively low Logistics Performance Index of 1.9 (2022) signals significant bottlenecks in trade-related infrastructure and services, including ports, roads, and customs procedures, which can raise transaction costs and impede regional and international trade. Foreign direct investment net inflows reach 6.17% of GDP (2023), suggesting some investor confidence but leaving ample room for improvement through better governance, security, and streamlined investment processes. The combination of high import dependence, weak logistical capacity, and limited FDI points to a trading system that could benefit substantially from targeted investments in port logistics, transport corridors, and regulatory reforms to boost export competitiveness and diversify the economy beyond fragile humanitarian and security-linked cycles.

In this context, the renewable energy profile of the country—where renewables constitute the vast majority of energy consumption—may ease some energy-import costs, but it also underscores the need for reliable energy access to support industrial activities, manufacturing, and services that could expand export capacity. Overall, Somalia’s trade and investment metrics reveal a fragile yet potentially improvable framework where improvements in security, governance, and infrastructure could unlock more robust private-sector growth, reduce vulnerability to external shocks, and foster greater economic resilience.

Governance and Institutions

Somalia’s governance indicators in 2023 paint a picture of weak state capacity and governance challenges. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism scores are -2.38, Regulatory Quality at -1.88, Rule of Law at -2.21, Control of Corruption at -1.73, and Government Effectiveness at -1.98. Taken together, these values point to a system beset by political volatility, difficult policy implementation, weak rule of law, and corruption risks, all of which hamper predictable policymaking, enforceable contracts, and the delivery of public services. The poverty rate remains high at 54.4% (2022), indicating that large segments of the population live under precarious economic conditions, which can further destabilize social cohesion and erode trust in institutions. These governance conditions interact with health and education outcomes, investment climate, and security, creating a challenging environment for sustained development. The data suggest that without improvements in governance, including anti-corruption measures, transparent regulatory frameworks, and more effective public administration, progress in health, education, and economic diversification will remain constrained.

Despite these challenges, the presence of some foreign direct investment and limited but real export activity hints at a potential pathway for reform. International engagement, diaspora networks, and targeted governance reforms could gradually strengthen institutional capacity, enhance service delivery, and attract additional investment. However, any meaningful change will likely require a comprehensive, security-conscious, and fiscally sustainable approach that aligns governance improvements with incentives for private sector growth and human development.

Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure and technology indicators reveal a country grappling with limited connectivity and high dependence on external networks for essential services. Internet usage stands at 27.6% of the population (2022), highlighting a significant digital divide and constraints on e-government, digital finance, and information dissemination. The Logistics Performance Index—Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure—scores 1.9 (2022) on a 1-to-5 scale, signaling poor infrastructure quality and logistical efficiency that hinder trade, supply chains, and the delivery of public services. Yet there is a notable alignment toward renewable energy, with renewable energy consumption comprising 95.4% of total final energy consumption (2022), suggesting minimal reliance on fossil fuels and potential for clean energy expansion if storage, transmission, and distribution are strengthened. In terms of environmental and energy management, Somalia shows total greenhouse gas emissions per capita of 1.77 t CO2e (2023), reflecting a relatively low per-capita footprint, but this must be interpreted in light of low industrial activity and limited energy access. The water-stress indicator—freshwater withdrawal as a share of available freshwater resources—is 24.5% (2021), indicating moderate competition for water resources and the need for improved water management and infrastructure to support livelihoods and urban centers. The combination of limited digital infrastructure, weak logistical networks, and a strong renewable energy tilt presents both challenges and opportunities: while current infrastructure constrains service delivery and economic diversification, the energy profile provides a platform for future investments in resilient, low-emission systems if accompanied by capital, governance improvements, and targeted project delivery.

Overall, Somalia’s infrastructure and technology picture points to substantial gaps in connectivity and logistics that impede growth and service delivery, but with a favorable energy mix that, if harnessed and expanded through investment, could support a more decentralized and climate-resilient development path. Addressing these gaps will require strategic public-private collaboration, improved governance, and enhanced financing mechanisms to catalyze the upgrade of ports, roads, electricity networks, and digital platforms that underpin modern economies and public administration.

Environment and Sustainability

On the environmental front, Somalia exhibits a mix of vulnerabilities and relatively low emissions intensity. The prevalence of undernourishment remains alarmingly high at 51.3% of the population (2022), signaling persistent food insecurity and the need for resilient agricultural systems, rainfall-adaptive crops, and social protection measures to buffer households against climate shocks. The level of water stress, measured as freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources, stands at 24.5% (2021), indicating moderate competition for water resources that could intensify with climate variability and population growth, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where agriculture and domestic use compete for scarce supplies. Per-capita greenhouse gas emissions are 1.77 t CO2e (2023), a relatively low figure, reflecting limited industrial activity but also highlighting the importance of sustainable development pathways to avoid lock-in of high-emission practices as the economy evolves. The energy profile—renewables accounting for 95.4% of total final energy consumption (2022)—suggests a dominant share of renewable energy use, which might reflect limited access to fossil fuels, reliance on traditional biomass, or a small but growing supply of renewable electricity. While this signals a potential advantage for long-term sustainability and climate resilience, it also underscores the need for energy access expansion, grid reliability, and storage capacity to ensure that renewable energy translates into reliable power for households, healthcare, schools, and small businesses. Overall, Somalia faces a fragile environmental envelope shaped by risk factors such as climate variability, food insecurity, and water scarcity, even as it records a relatively modest carbon footprint. Effective environmental management will hinge on investments in climate-smart agriculture, water resource planning, and infrastructure that can harness the renewable energy base for inclusive growth.