Country Snapshot
| Population (2019, millions) ¹ | 15.443 |
| Population Projections (2030, millions)¹ | 21.191 |
| Economically active population in agriculture (as % of Economically active population)12, 2021 | 71.79 |
| Capital | Mogadishu |
| Surface Area (km²)² | 627,340 (2017) |
| Weather¹¹ | Hottest month, April, 26-32°C; coldest months, July and August, 23-28°C; driest months, January and February, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, June, 97 mm average rainfall |
| Languages³ | Somali (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Arabic (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English |
| Time⁴ | Eastern Africa Time (EAT) +3 UTC |
| Driving Orientation⁵ | Right Side |
| Internet Country Code⁶ | .so |
| Country Calling Code | +252 |
| Plug, Socket and Voltage⁷ | Type G – 220V/50Hz |
| Currency8 | Somali Shilling |
| GDP at Market Prices (2021, current, billions of USD)12 | 5.50 |
| GDP Growth (2021, annual %)12 | 3.5 |
| Average GDP Growth (2014-2018, annual %)12 | 3.78 |
| GDP per Capita, PPP (2018, current international $)12 | 580.38 |
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (2018, annual %)12 | 6.06 |
| Average Inflation, Consumer Prices (2014-2018, annual %)12 | 3.08 |
Sources:
¹United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
²COMESA Statistics, COMESTAT Data Hub.
³CIA World Factbook.
⁴Time and Date Portal.
⁵Chartsbin Portal, “Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country”.
⁶Wikipedia, “List of Internet top-level domains”; and, Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, Root Zone Database.
⁷International Electrotechnical Commission, World Plugs.
⁸Central Bank of Somalia (CBS).
¹¹Economist Intelligence Unit.
¹²AFDB Socioeconomic Database
Reasons to Invest in Sudan
- Somalia has a substantial potential in natural resources: agriculture, livestock, fishing, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, ICT, construction and tourism.
- Somalia banking system is modern and efficient, and local commercial banks are fully capable of handling international transactions and trade financing.
- Somalia’s Foreign Investment Law guarantees foreign investors treatment equal to that given to domestic investors.
- Supportive and dedicated Investment Promotion Office “SOMINVEST” committed to investment attraction, retention and provision of aftercare services.
Source: SOMINVEST Online Portal
Population
Population Projections (millions)
| Population (2019) | 15.443 |
| Population Projections (2030) | 21.191 |
Source: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Labour
Unemployment (2019, % of Total Labour Force, Modeled ILO Estimate)
| Unemployment, Total | 12.78 |
| Unemployment, Female | 13.18 |
| Unemployment, Male | 12.68 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2020.
Labour Force (2019, % of Ages 15+, Modeled ILO Estimate)
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Total | 47.5 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Female | 22.20 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Male | 73.83 |
| Labour Force, Total (number) | 4,065,050 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2020.
Economy Overview
GDP
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| GDP at Market Prices (current, billions of USD) | 4.50 | 4.72 | 4.95 | 5.21 | 5.50 |
| GDP Growth (annual %) | 1.3 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Source: AfDB Socio Economic Database.
Value Added by Sector (% of GDP)
| Indicator | 2018 | 2019 |
| Agriculture | 71.61 | 71.61 |
| Manufacturing | 2.96 | 2.96 |
| Industry | 8.76 | 8.76 |
| Services | 38.63 | 38.63 |
| Construction | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| Electricity, gas and water | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Mining and quarrying | 0.80 | 0.80 |
| Education | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Finance, real estate and business services | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Public administration and Defense | 14.82 | 14.82 |
| Health and Social Work | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Other services | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Transport, storage and communication | 11.17 | 11.17 |
| Wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants | 12.64 | 12.64 |
Source: AFDB Socio Economic Database.
Trade Profile
Import Partners (Imported Value, thousands, USD)
| Exporters | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Total | 2,884,838 | 3,410,592 | 3,492,981 | 3,607,049 | 466,767 |
| Turkey | 115,882 | 142,946 | 181,369 | 244,416 | 275,183 |
| Brazil | 81,424 | 69,659 | 60,782 | 20,456 | 75,034 |
| United States of America | 38,827 | 70,595 | 49,455 | 105,431 | 58,946 |
| Korea, Republic of | 8,715 | 16,245 | 19,296 | 26,710 | 18,652 |
| France | 11,943 | 43,120 | 19,072 | 9,823 | 14,449 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Export Partners (Exported Value, thousands, USD)
| Importers | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Total | 632,319 | 426,226 | 488,643 | 416,533 | 32,825 |
| Japan | 8,266 | 11,171 | 14,362 | 19,564 | 17,201 |
| France | 11,037 | 10,988 | 8,376 | 6,242 | 6,792 |
| Turkey | 2,156 | 1,030 | 5,842 | 6,399 | 4,938 |
| Korea, Republic of | 1,923 | 3,086 | 5,564 | 5,796 | 3,137 |
| United States of America | 1,018 | 1,009 | 1,339 | 1,079 | 534 |
Source: International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Somalia Imports (Imported Value, Thousands, USD)
| Code | Product label | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Total | All products | 2,884,838 | 3,410,592 | 3,492,981 | 3,607,049 |
| ’24 | Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes | 49,778 | 167,470 | 282,315 | 444,679 |
| ’17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 330,646 | 298,963 | 208,644 | 278,223 |
| ’85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television … | 123,746 | 169,453 | 257,728 | 238,253 |
| ’10 | Cereals | 151,227 | 203,015 | 185,436 | 217,000 |
| ’87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 115,889 | 142,811 | 172,091 | 179,192 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Somalia Exports (Exported Value, Thousands, USD)
| Code | Product label | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| ‘TOTAL | All products | 632,319 | 426,226 | 488,643 | 416,533 |
| ’71 | Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad … | 58,977 | 100,308 | 128,046 | 174,339 |
| ’01 | Live animals | 460,451 | 220,042 | 218,595 | 611,159 |
| ’12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal … | 27,751 | 5,750 | 20,050 | 463,480 |
| ’13 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 17,579 | 27,161 | 37,131 | 1,581,403 |
| ’03 | Lac; gums, resins and other vegetable saps and extracts | 25,308 | 30,714 | 38,511 | 25,764 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Investment Profile
FDI Inflows (millions of USD)
| Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| FDI Inflows | 303 | 330 | 369 | 408 | 447 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2020.
FDI Inward Stock (millions of USD)
| Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| FDI Inward Stock | 1,598 | 1,928 | 2,297 | 2,7205 | 3,152 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2020.
Country Snapshot
| Population (2019, millions) ¹ | 15.443 |
| Population Projections (2030, millions)¹ | 21.191 |
| Economically active population in agriculture (as % of Economically active population)12, 2021 | 71.79 |
| Capital | Mogadishu |
| Surface Area (km²)² | 627,340 (2017) |
| Weather¹¹ | Hottest month, April, 26-32°C; coldest months, July and August, 23-28°C; driest months, January and February, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, June, 97 mm average rainfall |
| Languages³ | Somali (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Arabic (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English |
| Time⁴ | Eastern Africa Time (EAT) +3 UTC |
| Driving Orientation⁵ | Right Side |
| Internet Country Code⁶ | .so |
| Country Calling Code | +252 |
| Plug, Socket and Voltage⁷ | Type G – 220V/50Hz |
| Currency8 | Somali Shilling |
| GDP at Market Prices (2021, current, billions of USD)12 | 5.50 |
| GDP Growth (2021, annual %)12 | 3.5 |
| Average GDP Growth (2014-2018, annual %)12 | 3.78 |
| GDP per Capita, PPP (2018, current international $)12 | 580.38 |
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (2018, annual %)12 | 6.06 |
| Average Inflation, Consumer Prices (2014-2018, annual %)12 | 3.08 |
Sources:
¹United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
²COMESA Statistics, COMESTAT Data Hub.
³CIA World Factbook.
⁴Time and Date Portal.
⁵Chartsbin Portal, “Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country”.
⁶Wikipedia, “List of Internet top-level domains”; and, Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, Root Zone Database.
⁷International Electrotechnical Commission, World Plugs.
⁸Central Bank of Somalia (CBS).
¹¹Economist Intelligence Unit.
¹²AFDB Socioeconomic Database
Reasons to Invest in Sudan
- Somalia has a substantial potential in natural resources: agriculture, livestock, fishing, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, ICT, construction and tourism.
- Somalia banking system is modern and efficient, and local commercial banks are fully capable of handling international transactions and trade financing.
- Somalia’s Foreign Investment Law guarantees foreign investors treatment equal to that given to domestic investors.
- Supportive and dedicated Investment Promotion Office “SOMINVEST” committed to investment attraction, retention and provision of aftercare services.
Source: SOMINVEST Online Portal
Population
Population Projections (millions)
| Population (2019) | 15.443 |
| Population Projections (2030) | 21.191 |
Source: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Labour
Unemployment (2019, % of Total Labour Force, Modeled ILO Estimate)
| Unemployment, Total | 12.78 |
| Unemployment, Female | 13.18 |
| Unemployment, Male | 12.68 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2020.
Labour Force (2019, % of Ages 15+, Modeled ILO Estimate)
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Total | 47.5 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Female | 22.20 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate, Male | 73.83 |
| Labour Force, Total (number) | 4,065,050 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2020.
Economy Overview
GDP
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| GDP at Market Prices (current, billions of USD) | 4.50 | 4.72 | 4.95 | 5.21 | 5.50 |
| GDP Growth (annual %) | 1.3 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Source: AfDB Socio Economic Database.
Value Added by Sector (% of GDP)
| Indicator | 2018 | 2019 |
| Agriculture | 71.61 | 71.61 |
| Manufacturing | 2.96 | 2.96 |
| Industry | 8.76 | 8.76 |
| Services | 38.63 | 38.63 |
| Construction | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| Electricity, gas and water | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Mining and quarrying | 0.80 | 0.80 |
| Education | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Finance, real estate and business services | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Public administration and Defense | 14.82 | 14.82 |
| Health and Social Work | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Other services | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Transport, storage and communication | 11.17 | 11.17 |
| Wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants | 12.64 | 12.64 |
Source: AFDB Socio Economic Database.
Trade Profile
Import Partners (Imported Value, thousands, USD)
| Exporters | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Total | 2,884,838 | 3,410,592 | 3,492,981 | 3,607,049 | 466,767 |
| Turkey | 115,882 | 142,946 | 181,369 | 244,416 | 275,183 |
| Brazil | 81,424 | 69,659 | 60,782 | 20,456 | 75,034 |
| United States of America | 38,827 | 70,595 | 49,455 | 105,431 | 58,946 |
| Korea, Republic of | 8,715 | 16,245 | 19,296 | 26,710 | 18,652 |
| France | 11,943 | 43,120 | 19,072 | 9,823 | 14,449 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Export Partners (Exported Value, thousands, USD)
| Importers | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Total | 632,319 | 426,226 | 488,643 | 416,533 | 32,825 |
| Japan | 8,266 | 11,171 | 14,362 | 19,564 | 17,201 |
| France | 11,037 | 10,988 | 8,376 | 6,242 | 6,792 |
| Turkey | 2,156 | 1,030 | 5,842 | 6,399 | 4,938 |
| Korea, Republic of | 1,923 | 3,086 | 5,564 | 5,796 | 3,137 |
| United States of America | 1,018 | 1,009 | 1,339 | 1,079 | 534 |
Source: International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Somalia Imports (Imported Value, Thousands, USD)
| Code | Product label | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Total | All products | 2,884,838 | 3,410,592 | 3,492,981 | 3,607,049 |
| ’24 | Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes | 49,778 | 167,470 | 282,315 | 444,679 |
| ’17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 330,646 | 298,963 | 208,644 | 278,223 |
| ’85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television … | 123,746 | 169,453 | 257,728 | 238,253 |
| ’10 | Cereals | 151,227 | 203,015 | 185,436 | 217,000 |
| ’87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 115,889 | 142,811 | 172,091 | 179,192 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Somalia Exports (Exported Value, Thousands, USD)
| Code | Product label | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| ‘TOTAL | All products | 632,319 | 426,226 | 488,643 | 416,533 |
| ’71 | Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad … | 58,977 | 100,308 | 128,046 | 174,339 |
| ’01 | Live animals | 460,451 | 220,042 | 218,595 | 611,159 |
| ’12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal … | 27,751 | 5,750 | 20,050 | 463,480 |
| ’13 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 17,579 | 27,161 | 37,131 | 1,581,403 |
| ’03 | Lac; gums, resins and other vegetable saps and extracts | 25,308 | 30,714 | 38,511 | 25,764 |
Source: : International Trade Centre COMTRADE Statistics.
Investment Profile
FDI Inflows (millions of USD)
| Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| FDI Inflows | 303 | 330 | 369 | 408 | 447 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2020.
FDI Inward Stock (millions of USD)
| Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| FDI Inward Stock | 1,598 | 1,928 | 2,297 | 2,7205 | 3,152 |
Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2020.