Demographics of Somalia

Demographic features of Somalia's inhabitants include ethnicity, language, population density, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Somalia is believed to be one of the most homogeneous countries in Africa.

2020 survey Child marriages, known to deprive women of opportunities to reach their full potential, have among women aged 20–24, 36 percent of total population.

The April 2020 SHDS report further unveils that fertility rates remain very high, the total fertility rate for Somalia is 6.9 children per woman, the highest in the world, which would impact planning for the next years. In addition, 99 percent of women have still been genitally circumcised.

Population According to , the total population was in , compared to 2,264,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 44.9%, 52.3% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.7% was 65 years or older.

Vital statistics Registration of vital events in Somalia is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates:

YearPopulationLive births per yearDeaths per yearNatural change per yearCBR*CDR*NC*TFR*IMR*Life expectancy (years)19502,213,000112,00050,00062,00050.522.428.17.25152.141.4019512,276,000114,00051,00062,00049.922.627.37.25151.441.5219522,339,000116,00053,00063,00049.4 22.526.87.25150.141.7419532,402,000117,00054,00064,00048.922.426.57.25148.841.9719542,466,000119,00055,00065,00048.522.326.27.25147.642.1919552,530,000122,00056,00066,00048.022.126.07.25146.342.4019562,595,000124,00057,00067,00047.721.925.87.25145.142.6219572,662,000126,00058,00068,00047.421.725.77.25143.942.8319582,729,000129,00059,00070,00047.121.525.67.25142.743.0419592,798,000131,00060,00071,00046.821.325.57.25141.643.2519602,871,000134,00061,00073,00046.621.125.57.25140.443.4519612,946,000137,00062,00075,00046.421.025.37.25139.843.5619623,023,000140,00063,00077,00046.220.725.47.26138.143.8819633,102,000143,00064,00079,00046.020.525.47.26137.044.1019643,184,000146,00065,00081,00045.820.425.47.26135.944.3019653,268,000149,00066,00083,00045.720.225.57.26134.644.5419663,354,000153,00067,00086,00045.520.025.67.26133.544.7619673,442,000156,00068,00088,00045.419.825.67.25132.444.9719683,532,000160,00069,00091,00045.319.625.77.23131.445.1719693,625,000164,00071,00093,00045.219.525.87.21130.445.3719703,721,000168,00072,00096,00045.219.325.97.18129.445.5619713,818,000173,00073,00099,00045.219.226.07.15128.445.7519723,918,000177,00075,000103,00045.219.026.27.12127.545.9419734,022,000182,00076,000106,00045.218.926.37.09126.546.1319744,126,000187,00086,000101,00045.320.724.67.06137.843.8219754,228,000192,00086,000106,00045.520.425.17.03135.944.1819764,334,000198,00087,000111,00045.720.125.57.02134.044.5719774,450,000204,00082,000122,00045.818.327.57.00122.646.9219784,778,000214,00084,000130,00046.818.428.47.13121.746.9519795,409,000241,00093,000148,00047.118.228.87.16120.747.3119805,892,000277,000106,000171,00047.318.129.27.18119.847.4919815,935,000291,000110,000181,00047.718.129.77.23119.047.6719825,952,000286,000107,000179,00048.018.030.07.25118.247.8319836,143,000296,000109,000187,00048.317.830.57.28116.648.1719846,369,000307,000112,000196,00048.517.630.97.30115.248.4619856,631,000322,000117,000205,00048.717.731.07.33114.848.2819866,909,000336,000121,000215,00048.917.631.27.35114.148.3719877,158,000351,000124,000227,00049.017.331.77.37113.148.9019887,160,000362,000151,000211,00049.120.528.67.40115.843.8419897,035,000352,000131,000221,00049.218.330.87.42110.146.7219906,999,000349,000128,000221,00049.018.031.07.44108.347.1119916,733,000346,000284,00063,00049.440.58.97.47237.426.5719926,428,000327,000251,00076,00050.238.611.77.50236.327.3119936,621,000328,000101,000227,00050.415.534.97.53104.650.6519946,960,000351,000111,000240,00050.315.934.47.54105.150.3319957,211,000360,000113,000247,00050.115.834.47.58104.550.6019967,472,000376,000119,000257,00050.115.934.27.62104.850.4519977,734,000388,000124,000264,00050.316.134.27.66106.850.2019988,057,000403,000127,000276,00050.215.834.47.65104.650.6619998,384,000419,000133,000286,00050.115.934.27.63104.750.5320008,721,000434,000137,000297,00049.915.834.17.61104.650.6620019,071,000450,000142,000308,00049.715.734.07.58104.450.7420029,411,000467,000148,000320,00049.715.734.07.58104.450.7320039,758,000482,000153,000329,00049.415.733.77.55104.550.61200410,117,000498,000159,000339,00049.215.733.57.52104.650.54200510,467,000513,000163,000350,00049.015.633.47.48104.450.66200610,785,000527,000168,000359,00048.715.633.27.46104.150.60200711,118,000539,000173,000366,00048.515.532.97.42103.550.52200811,445,000555,000174,000381,00048.215.133.17.39101.351.12200911,730,000565,000172,000393,00047.914.633.47.3498.751.85201012,027,000576,000185,000390,00047.715.432.37.30102.550.56201112,217,000589,000184,000405,00047.514.932.77.26100.051.30201212,440,000590,000169,000420,00047.313.633.77.2091.453.16201312,852,000604,000169,000435,00047.013.133.97.1388.753.84201413,309,000622,000170,000452,00046.712.833.97.0686.154.28201513,764,000640,000171,000469,00046.512.434.06.9883.954.86201614,293,000657,000175,000482,00046.212.333.96.8982.055.04201714,864,000675,000177,000498,00045.511.933.66.7479.855.65201815,411,000693,000176,000516,00045.011.433.56.6377.256.38201915,981,000711,000176,000535,00044.611.033.56.5375.057.08202016,537,000728,000188,000540,00044.011.432.66.4272.955.97202117,271,000762,000195,000566,00044.111.332.86.3570.057.2202217,802,000780,000228,000551,00043.812.831.06.2686.753.9202318,356,000789,000181,000608,00043.0 9.833.16.1366.358.8 * CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Ethnic groups Somalis Somalis constitute the largest ethnic group in Somalia, at approximately 85% of its inhabitants. They are organized into clan groupings, which are important social units; clan membership plays a central part in Somali culture and politics. Clans are patrilineal and are typically divided into sub-clans, sometimes with many sub-divisions. Through the xeer system (customary law), the advanced clan structure has served governmental roles in many rural Somali communities.

According to The Economist, at independence Somalia was "arguably in ethnic terms the most homogeneous country in Africa" however, the publication also notes:

Somali Clans

Somali clans (; ) are patrilineal kinship groups based on agnatic descent of the Somali people. Tradition and folklore connects the origin of the Somali population by language and way of life, and societal organisations, by customs, and by a feeling of belonging to a broader family among individuals from the Arabian Peninsula.

The Somali people are mainly divided among five patrilineal clans, the Hawiye, Darod, Rahanweyn, Dir, and Isaaq. The average person is able to trace their ancestry generations back. Somali clans in contemporary times have an established official structure in the country's political system, acknowledged by a mathematical formula for equitably distributing seats between the clans in the Federal Parliament of Somalia.

The clan represents the highest degree of familial affiliation. It holds territorial properties and is typically overseen by a Sultan. Clans possess ancestral lands, which are associated with the migratory patterns of the Somali populace throughout their historical narrative. Each clan is administered by its designated leader and supported by its council of elders, with land being communally owned and overseen. Various Somali clans utilise distinct titles for their leaders, including Sultan, Emir, Imam,Mohamed Haji Muktar, Historical Dictionary of Somalia, (Scarecrow Press: 2003), p.35 Ughaz, and Garad. Clan leadership may be hereditary, or leaders may be elected by the council of elders composed of representatives from diverse clan lineages. The leaders of these clans fulfill both religious and political responsibilities.

Other ethnic groups Non-Somali ethnic minority groups make up about 15% of Somalia's population. They include Arabs, Bantus and Bajunis.

Languages

Somali is the official language of Somalia. It is the mother tongue of Somalis, the nation's most populous ethnic group. The language is a member of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family.I. M. Lewis, Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somalis, Afar and Saho, (Red Sea Press: 1998), p. 11.

In addition to Somali, Arabic, which is also an Afroasiatic tongue,Helena Dubnov, A grammatical sketch of Somali, (Kِppe: 2003), pp. 70–71. is another official language in Somalia. Many speak it due to centuries-old ties with the Arab world, the far-reaching influence of the Arabic media, and religious education.Diana Briton Putman, Mohamood Cabdi Noor, The Somalis: their history and culture, (Center for Applied Linguistics: 1993), p. 15.: "Somalis speak Somali. Many people also speak Arabic, and educated Somalis usually speak either English or Italian as well. Swahili may also be spoken in coastal areas near Kenya."Fiona MacDonald et al., Peoples of Africa, Volume 10, (Marshall Cavendish: 2000), p. 178.

English is widely used and taught. Other minority languages include Bravanese, a variant of the Bantu Swahili language that is spoken along the southern coast by the Bravanese people, as well as Bajuni, another Swahili dialect that is the mother tongue of the Bajuni ethnic minority group

Demographics of Somalia

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