Life Expectancy at Birth in Somalia
Somalia: Life Expectancy at Birth was 58.97 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life Expectancy at Birth in Somalia, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 58.97 for life expectancy at birth in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Somalia peaked at 58.97 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 25.03, in 1992.
That places Somalia 211th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life Expectancy at Birth in Somalia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 43.54 | — |
| 1961 | 43.67 | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 43.97 | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 44.19 | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 44.39 | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 44.63 | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 44.84 | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 45.05 | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 45.25 | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 45.45 | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 45.64 | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 45.84 | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 46.03 | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 46.22 | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 44.26 | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 44.49 | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 44.73 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 47 | +5.1% |
| 1978 | 47.01 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 47.41 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 47.61 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 47.82 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 48.02 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 48.23 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 48.44 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 48.28 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 48.43 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 49 | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 43.93 | -10.3% |
| 1989 | 46.65 | +6.2% |
| 1990 | 46.9 | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 25.42 | -45.8% |
| 1992 | 25.03 | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 50.55 | +101.9% |
| 1994 | 50.3 | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 50.65 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 50.52 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 50.28 | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 50.76 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 50.61 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 50.75 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 50.83 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 50.82 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 50.72 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 50.69 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 50.89 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 50.91 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 50.88 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 51.46 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.1 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 48.9 | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 32.45 | -33.6% |
| 2012 | 49.14 | +51.4% |
| 2013 | 54.02 | +9.9% |
| 2014 | 54.44 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 55.06 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 55.28 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 52.19 | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 54.77 | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 57.25 | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 57.09 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 55.7 | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 53.93 | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 58.82 | +9.1% |
| 2024 | 58.97 | +0.3% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 58.97 is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.84, 92% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 58.97 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.26, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life Expectancy at Birth in Somalia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +101.9% | 25.03 | 50.55 |
| 2012 | +51.4% | 32.45 | 49.14 |
| 1991 | -45.8% | 46.9 | 25.42 |
| 2011 | -33.6% | 48.9 | 32.45 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.5 | 43.54 | 45.45 | 10 |
| 1970s | 45.86 | 44.26 | 47.41 | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.64 | 43.93 | 49 | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.1 | 25.03 | 50.76 | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.01 | 50.69 | 52.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.35 | 32.45 | 57.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.9 | 53.93 | 58.97 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More gender data for Somalia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 10,410 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.2 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 12,505 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 12,505 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.67 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 379,876 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 393,718 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 364,586 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 376,417 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 351,742 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Somalia?
- Life expectancy at birth in Somalia was 58.97 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 58.97 in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.03 in 1992.
- How does Somalia rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Somalia ranks 211th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.