The demographics of Somalis encompass the demographic features of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

's inhabitants, including ethnicity, language, population density, education level, health, economic status,

religious affiliations Religious identity is a specific type of identity formation. Particularly, it is the sense of group membership to a religion and the importance of this group membership as it pertains to one's self-concept. Religious identity is not necessarily the ...

and other aspects of the population. Somalia is believed to be one of the most homogeneous countries in

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

Ethnic groups

According to ''The Economist'', at independence Somalia was "arguably in ethnic terms the most homogeneous country in sub-Saharan Africa", ahead of

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

, which is four-fifths

Tswana Tswana may refer to: * Tswana people, the Bantu speaking people in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern Africa regions * Tswana language, the language spoken by the (Ba)Tswana people * Bophuthatswana, the former ba ...

. However, the publication also notes that "its ethnic homogeneity is misleading. Despite also sharing a single language and religion, it is divided into more than 500 clans and sub-clans".

Somalis

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

constitute the largest

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

in Somalia, at approximately 85% of the nation's inhabitants. They are organized into

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

groupings, which are important

social unit The term "level of analysis" is used in the social sciences to point to the location, size, or scale of a research target. "Level of analysis" is distinct from the term "unit of observation" in that the former refers to a more or less integrated s ...

s; clan membership plays a central part in Somali

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

and

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

. Clans are

patrilineal Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

and are typically divided into sub-clans, sometimes with many sub-divisions. Through the ''

xeer ''Xeer'' (pronounced ) is the traditional legal system of Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Somali Region, and the North Eastern Province in Kenya. One of the three systems from which formal Somali law draws its inspiration, the others being civil ...

'' system (

customary law A legal custom is the established pattern of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law". Customary law (also, consuetudina ...

), the advanced clan structure has served governmental roles in many rural Somali communities. Somali society is traditionally ethnically

endogamous Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. Endogamy is common in many cultu ...

. So to extend ties of alliance, marriage is often to another ethnic Somali from a different clan. Thus, for example, a recent study observed that in 89 marriages contracted by men of the

Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante ( so, Dhulbahante, ar, دلبةنتئ) is a Somali clan family, part of the Harti clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — the Darod. They are the traditional inhabitants of the physiographic Nugaal in its ...

clan, 55 (62%) were with women of

sub-clans other than those of their husbands; 30 (33.7%) were with women of surrounding clans of other clan families (

Isaaq The Isaaq (also Isaq, Ishaak, Isaac) ( so, Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, ar, بني إسحاق, Banī Isḥāq) is a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. Per ...

, 28;

Gadabuursi The Gadabuursi ( Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family. The Gadabuursi are geographically s ...

, 3); and 3 (4.3%) were with women of other clans of the

Darod The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...

clan family ( Marehan 2,

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; so, Ogaadeen, am, ውጋዴ/ውጋዴን) is one of the historical names given to the modern Somali Region, the territory comprising the eastern portion of Ethiopia formerly part of the Harargh ...

1).

Clan structure

Certain clans are traditionally classed as noble clans, referring to their nomadic lifestyle in contrast to the sedentary Sab who are either agropastoralists or artisanal castes. The four noble clans are the

Hawiye The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...

, Dir,

and

. Of these, the Dir and Hawiye are regarded as descended from

Irir Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''.. As the purported ...

, the likely source of the ethnonym ''Somali (soomaali)''. The Isaaq and Darod have separate agnatic (paternal) traditions of descent through Ishaak ibn Ahmed (Sheikh Ishak) and

Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, ( ar, عبدالرحمن بن اسماعيل الجبرتي) also known as Daarood, Dawud or Da'ud (), is the semi-legendary common ancestor of the Somali Darod clan. According to local tradition, Abdirahman d ...

(Sheikh Darod) respectively.I.M. Lewis, ''A Modern History of the Somali'', fourth edition (Oxford: James Currey, 2002), p. 23 Both Sheikh Ishak and Sheikh Darod are asserted to have married women from the Dir clan, thus establishing matrilateral ties with the Samaale main stem. "Sab" is the term used to refer to minor Somali clans in contrast to "Samaale".Laitin, David D. & Samatar, Said S. (1987). ''Somalia: Nation in Search of a State'', Colorado: Westview Press. Both Samaale and Sab are the children of their father "Hiil" whose is the common ancestor all Somali clans. A few clans in the southern part of

Greater Somalia Greater Somalia ( so, Soomaaliweyn, ar, الصومال الكبرى ''As-Sūmal al-Kubra'') is a concept to unite all ethnic Somalis comprising the regions in or near the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis live and have historically inhabited ...

do not belong to the major clans, but came to be associated with them and were eventually adopted into one of their confederations: Gaalje'el in Hiran and elsewhere in central Somalia traces its paternal descent to Gardheere Samaale;

Garre The Garre (also Gurreh, Karre, "Binukaaf") ( Somali: ''Reer Garre'', Arabic: بنو كاف, romanized: ''Banī kāf'' ) is a major Somali clan whose origins trace back to Samaale who traces the lineage from the Arabian Peninsula through Aqiil ...

in the

Somali Region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state ...

and North Eastern Province is divided into two branches: Tuuf claiming itself to be Garre Gardheere Samaale,The Quranyo section of the Garre claim descent from Dirr, who are born of the Irrir Samal. UNDP Paper in Keyna http://www.undp.org/content/dam/kenya/docs/Amani%20Papers/AP_Volume1_n2_May2010.pdf and Quranyow, who married Tuuf's daughter, is of Mahamed Hiniftir Mahe Dir lineage; Degoodi in the Somali Region and North Eastern Province is related to Gaaje'el as Saransoor and traces its patrilineage to Gardheere Samaale; Hawaadle in Hiran belongs to the Meyle Samaale; Ajuraan in the North Eastern Province claim descent from Maqaarre Samaale and

Sheekhaal The Sheekhaal (var. Sheikhaal ( ar, شيخال), also known as Fiqi Omar, is a Somali clan. They inhabit Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and with considerable numbers also found in the North Eastern Province (Kenya), Northern Frontier District (NFD ...

acknowledges descent from Sheikh Abadir Umar Ar-Rida, also known as ''Fiqi Umar''. Thus, the Gaalje'el, Garre, Degoodi Ajuraan and Hawaadle are said to have patrilateral ties with the Dir and Hawiye through Samaale to

Aqil ibn Abi Talib ʿAqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib (lit. "Aqil the Son of Abu Talib"; full name , ar, أبو يزيد عقيل بن أبي طالب بن عبد المطّلب بن هاشم), , was a cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad () and an older brother of Ali ...

(a cousin of the prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

and brother of

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

), whereas the Sheekhaal traces descent to a different forefather than the Samaale progeny, but ultimately also to Aqil ibn Abi Talib. The Sheekhaal (var. Sheikhaal (Arabic: شيخال), also known as Fiqi Omar, is a Somali clan. A Group members of hawiye major clan (Martiile Hiraab) inhabit Somalia, Ethiopia Djibouti and with considerable numbers also found in the Northern Frontier District (NFD) in Kenya. The Digil and Mirifle (

Rahanweyn The Rahanweyn (Maay: ''Reewin or Roowing'', Northern Somali: ''Raxanweyn'', ar, رحنوين), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () are a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory and dense ...

) are agro-

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

clans in the area between the

Jubba Thawb ( ar, ثَوْب "garment"), also spelled thobe or tobe and known by various other names in different regions, is an ankle-length robe, usually with long sleeves. It is commonly worn in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, North Afr ...

and

Shebelle The Shebelle River ( so, Webi Shabeelle, ar, نهر شبيلي, am, እደላ) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. ...

rivers. Many do not follow a

nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...

ic lifestyle, live further south, and speak

Maay Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' spelling is rarely used but it is most often spoken), is a dialect of the Somali language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiat ...

. Although in the past frequently classified as a Somali dialect, more recent research by the linguist

Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi ( so, Maxamed Diriye Abdullahi, ar, محمد ديري عبد الله; born 1958) is a Somali-Canadian scholar, linguist, writer, translator and professor. Biography Formerly a journalist in his native Somalia, Abdulla ...

suggests that Maay constitutes a separate but closely related

Afro-Asiatic The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...

language of the

Cushitic The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...

branch. A third group, the occupational clans, are treated as outcasts. They can only marry among themselves and other Somalis considered them to be ritually unclean. They lived in their own settlements among the nomadic populations in the north and performed specialised occupations such as

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...

tanning Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

and

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. These Minority

Somali clan The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mo ...

s are the Gaboye, Tumaal,

Yibir The Yibir, also referred to as the Yibbir, the Yebir, the Yahhar or the Yibro, derived from an Aramaic ‘iḇray' word which means Jews, are a caste of Somali people. They have traditionally been endogamous. Their hereditary occupations have been ...

, Jaji and Yahar.

Clans and sub-clans

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures. The divisions and subdivisions as given here are partial and simplified. Many lineages are omitted. Major clans * Dir (Aji Irir son of

Samaale Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale ( so, Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''.. As the purported ...

), **Quranyow-Garre, Surre, Barsug, Madigan, , l *

Arap The Arap or Arab ( so, Arab, ar, أرب, Full Name: ''Muḥammad ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'' ) clan is a major clan of the wider Isaaq clan family and is the twin of Garhajis (Ismail), according to the c ...

, Ayuub,

Garhajis The Garhajis ( so, Garxajis, ar, غرحجس , Full Name: ''Al-Qādhī Ismā'īl ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin'' ''al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'') historically known as the Habar Gerhajis () is a major clan of the wider Is ...

Habar Awal The Habr Awal, also contemporarily known as the Subeer Awal, and alternately romanized as the Zubeyr Awal ( so, Habar Awal, ar, هبر أول, Full Name: '' Zubeyr ibn Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ash- Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad)'' is a major clan of ...

Habar Jeclo The Habr Je'lo ( so, Habar Jeclo, ar, هبر جعلو , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn Ishaaq bin Ahmed, ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala ( so, Habar Toljeclo) is a major sub-tribe of the wider Isaaq family. I ...

, Tol Jecle, Sanbuur and Cibraan *

** Awrtable,

Dishiishe The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...

Jidwaq The Jidwaq ( so, Jidwaaq, ar, جيدواق) is a large Somali people, Somali clan, part of one of the largest Somalis, Somali clans families, the Absame Darod. Overview The Jidwaq clan primarily inhabit the Somali Region of Ethiopia, (where the ...

Leelkase The Leelkase or LailkaseUnited Nations Security CouncilLetter dated 21 November 2006 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee... p. 20 or Lelkase ( so, Laylkase, ar, ليلكسة) (''Hussein bin Abdirahman bin Is'mail bin Ibrahim al J ...

Majeerteen The Majeerteen ( so, Majeerteen, ar, ماجرتين; also spelled Majerteen, Macherten, Majertain, or Mijurtin) is a sub-clan. It is one of the major Somali groups, with a vast traditional territory spanning 3 major regions of Somalia: Bari, ...

, Marehan, Mora'ase,

, Moorsaante , Geri Koombe *

(Irir son of Samaale) ** Abgal,

Mudulood The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the No ...

clan (s), Gugundhabe, Xawaadle, Sheekhaal loobage, Baadi Cade, Jajeele, Geel-Jecel, Duduble,

Habar Gidir The Habar Gidir (Somali: Habar Gidir, Arabic: هبر جدير) is a major subclan of the Hawiye. The clan has produced many prominent Somali figures, including the first Prime Minister of Somalia Abdullahi Issa Mohamud and Somalia's fifth Presi ...

(s), Murusade, Gorgate * Digil ** Digil (Non-Mirifle) *** Dabarre, Iroole, Jiido, Garre, Tunni,

Geledi The Geledi are a Somali clan that live predominantly in the environs of Afgooye city. They are a sub-clan of the Rahanweyn and led the Geledi sultanate during the late 17th to early 20th century. They are divided into two main lineage groups: the ...

, Shanta Aleemo ** Mirifle ***Sagaal: Geeladle, Jilible, Gasaargude, Gawaweeyn, Luwaay, Hadame, Yantaar, Hubeer ***Siyeed: Elaay. Leysaan, Eemid, Diisow, Yalaale, Qoomaal, Maalin Wiing, Harin, Jiron, Reer Dumaal, Garwaale and Haraw * Saransor ** Isse, Masare, Gaaljecel,

Degodia The Degoodi or Degodia ( so, Degoodi or Degoodiya, ar, دغودي) is a Somali clan. They are genealogically related to the other Samaale, but in particular to the Garjante, Gaalje'el, Masare, Isa (Saransor) and 'Awrmale, with which they share ...

Mayle The Chestnut Ridge people (CRP) are a mixed-race community concentrated in an area northeast of Philippi, West Virginia, Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia, Barbour County in north-central West Virginia, with smaller related communities in th ...

Hawadle The Hawadle or Xawaadle ( so, Xawaadle, ar, حوادله, it, Auadleh) are a Somali clan who traces its descent from Mayle Gorgaarte, one of the sons of Hawiye clan. The Hawadle, as well as many other Somali clans like the Dir, trace themselv ...

*Gardheere samaali ** Cowrmale known as coormale ibraahim ;Minor clans *

Ashraaf Sharīf ( ar, شريف, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, fr ...

, Aw Xasan Bravanese, Benadiri, Eyle, Carab Salaax, Gaboye (

Madhiban The Madhiban ('), also known as Gaboye, They are also referred to as Midgaan, an appellation which is sometimes used pejoratively. The Madhiban have been one of the low status castes among the Somalis, along with Tumal and others. Distribution ...

Muse clan The Muse clan ( so, Reer Sheekh Muuse) is a Somali clan. Group members live in Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Yemen. History Muse was the father of the clan. He was an early follower of the prophet Mohammed. According to his proge ...

(s), Tumaal,

Other ethnic groups

Non-Somali ethnic minority groups make up about 15% of the nation's population. They include Cowrmale Bantus, Bajunis,

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

ns,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

ns,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

is,

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

Swedes Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...

, and

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...

.Gale Research Inc, ''Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations'', Volume 2, (Gale Research: 1984), p.278.Anthony Appiah, Henry Louis Gates, ''Encyclopedia of Africa'', Volume 1, (Oxford University Press: 2010), p.402

Languages

Somali and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

are the official languages of Somalis. The Somali language is the

mother tongue A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

of the Somalis, the nation's most populous ethnic group. It is a member of the

branch of the

Afroasiatic The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...

family. In addition to Somali, Arabic, which is also an Afroasiatic tongue,Helena Dubnov, ''A grammatical sketch of Somali'', (Kِppe: 2003), pp. 70–71. is an official national language in Somalia. Many Somalis speak it due to centuries-old ties with the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

, 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 English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

is widely used and taught.

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

used to be a major language, but its influence significantly diminished following

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

. It is now most frequently heard among older generations, government officials, and in educated circles. Other minority languages include Bravanese, a variant of the

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

Swahili language Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili ...

that is spoken along the coast by the

Bravanese people The Bravanese people, also known as the Barawani, are a minority ethnic group inhabiting the city of Barawe of Somalia. Origins As their name suggests, the Bravanese hail from ''Brava'' (Barawa), a port town on the southeastern coast of Somalia. ...

, as well as Bajuni, another Swahili dialect that is the mother tongue of the Bajuni ethnic minority group.

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.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision

Vital statistics

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

Demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review. *One birth every 46 seconds *One death every 3 minutes *One net migrant every 16 minutes *Net gain of one person every 1 minutes The following demographic are from the

CIA World Factbook ''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...

unless otherwise indicated.

Population

:12,386,248 (2022 est.) :11,259,029 (July 2018 est.) :10,428,043 (2014 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)

Age structure

Somalia single age population pyramid 2020

:''0-14 years:'' 42.38% (male 2,488,604/female 2,493,527) :''15-24 years:'' 19.81% (male 1,167,807/female 1,161,040) :''25-54 years:'' 30.93% (male 1,881,094/female 1,755,166) :''55-64 years:'' 4.61% (male 278,132/female 264,325) :''65 years and over:'' 2.27% (2020 est.) (male 106,187/female 161,242) :''0-14 years:'' 42.87% (male 2,410,215 /female 2,416,629) :''15-24 years:'' 19.35% (male 1,097,358 /female 1,081,762) :''25-54 years:'' 31.23% (male 1,821,823 /female 1,694,873) :''55-64 years:'' 4.35% (male 245,744 /female 243,893) :''65 years and over:'' 2.19% (male 95,845 /female 150,887) (2018 est.)

Birth rate

:37.98 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 8th :39.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 9th :40.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate

:11.62 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 17th :12.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) :13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...

:5.31 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 9th :5.7 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 6th

Population growth rate

:2.42% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 27th :2.08% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 45th :1.75% (2014 est.)

Median age

:total: 18.5 years. Country comparison to the world: 210th :male: 18.7 years :female: 18.3 years (2020 est.) :Total: 18.2 years. Country comparison to the world: 211th :Male: 18.4 years :Female: 18 years (2018 est.)

Net migration rate

:-2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 171st :-5.6 migrants/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 199th :-9.51 migrants/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

:6.9% (2018/19)

Dependency ratio The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...
s

:Total dependency ratio: 97.4 (2015 est.) :Youth dependency ratio: 92.1 (2015 est.) :Elderly dependency ratio: 5.3 (2015 est.) :

Potential support ratio The potential support ratio (PSR) is the number of people age 15–64 per one older person aged 65 or older. This ratio describes the burden placed on the working population (unemployment and children are not considered in this measure) by the no ...

: 18.8 (2015 est.)

Urbanization

:urban population: 47.3% of total population (2022) :rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) :Urban population: 45% of total population (2018) :Rate of urbanization: 4.23% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) :''Urban population:'' 37.7% of total population (2011) :''Rate of

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...

:'' 3.79 annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio

''At birth:'' 1.03 males/female
''Under 15 years:'' 1 male/female
''15–64 years:'' 1.07 males/female
''65 years and over:'' 0.66 males/female
''Total population:'' 1.01 males/female (2015 est. )

Infant mortality rate

:Total: 93 deaths/1,000 live births :Male: 101.4 deaths/1,000 live births :Female: 84.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 55.72 years. Country comparison to the world: 225th male: 53.39 years female: 58.12 years (2022 est.) :Total population: 53.2 years :Male: 51 years :Female: 55.4 years (2018 est.) :''Total population:'' 51.58 years :''Male:'' 49.58 years :''Female:'' 53.65 years (2014 est.)

Major infectious diseases

:degree of risk: very high (2020) :food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever :vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever :water contact diseases: schistosomiasis :animal contact diseases: rabies note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Somalia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

HIV/AIDS

;HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.1% (2017 est.) ;HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 11,000 (2017 est.) ;HIV/AIDS - deaths <1000 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases

''Degree of risk'': high
''Food or waterborne diseases'': bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
''Vector-borne diseases'': dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever
''Water contact disease'': schistosomiasis
''Animal contact disease'': rabies (2013)

Nationality

''Noun:'' Somali (singular) or Somali (plural)
''Adjective:'' Somali

Ethnic groups

* Somali 85% *

and other non-Somali 15%.

Languages

* Somali (official) *

Literacy

''Definition:'' age 15 and over can read and write
''Total population:'' N/ANo reliable data on nationwide literacy rate. 2013 FSNAU survey indicates considerable differences per region, with the autonomous northeastern

Puntland Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...

region having the highest registered literacy rate (72%)

/ref>

Notes

References

*
Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics
', Worldbank, January 2005, Appendix 2, Lineage Charts
Victims and Vulnerable Groups in Southern Somalia
Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001
Somali Clan Structure
Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001

External links

from "Reunification of the Somali People", Jack L. Davies {{Human rights in Somalia

Ethnic groups

Somalis

Clan structure

Clans and sub-clans

Other ethnic groups

Languages

Population

Vital statistics

Demographic statistics

Population

Religions

Age structure

Birth rate

Death rate

Total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...

Population growth rate

Median age

Net migration rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Dependency ratio The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...s

Urbanization

Sex ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Major infectious diseases

HIV/AIDS

Major infectious diseases

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Literacy

See also

Notes

References

External links

Dependency ratio The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...
s