Page last updated on February 6, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective:
Somali
Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)
Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter)
Population:
10,085,638 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
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
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.5% (male 2,245,149/female 2,246,512)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
18.8% (male 957,658/female 938,520)
25-54 years:
31% (male 1,613,927/female 1,513,659)
55-64 years:
3.3% (male 151,629/female 180,296)
65 years and over:
2.4% (male 94,638/female 143,650) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.8 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
17.9 years
female:
17.8 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.596% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
42.12 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
14.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-11.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 37% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
4.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
MOGADISHU (capital) 1.353 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.66 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
1,000 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 2
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 103.72 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 3
male:
112.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
94.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.8 years
country comparison to the world: 216
male:
48.86 years
female:
52.8 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.26 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.035 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 52% of population
rural: 6% of population
total: 23% of population
unimproved:
