Demographics of Somalia

The demographics of Somalia encompass the demographic features of Somalia's inhabitants, including ethnicity, languages, population density, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Ethnic groups

Somalis

Young Somali women at a community event in Hargeisa.

Somalis constitute the largest ethnic group in Somalia, at approximately 85% of the nation's 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.

Somali society is traditionally ethnically endogamous. 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 clan, 55 (62%) were with women of Dhulbahante sub-clans other than those of their husbands; 30 (33.7%) were with women of surrounding clans of other clan families (Isaaq, 28; Hawiye, 3); and 3 (4.3%) were with women of other clans of the Darod clan family (Majerteen 2, Ogaden 1).

Clan structure

Certain clans are traditionally classed as noble clans, referring to the belief that they share a common Somali ancestry, whereas some minority clans are believed to have mixed parentage. The four noble clans are Darod, Dir, Hawiye and Isaaq. Of these, the Dir, Hawiye and Isaaq are regarded as descended from Irir Samaale, the likely source of the ethnonym Somali. The Darod have separate agnatic or paternal traditions of descent through Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti (Sheikh Darod). Sheikh Darod is, in turn, asserted to have married a woman from the Dir, thus establishing matrilateral ties with the Samaale main stem. Although often recognized as a sub-clan of the Dir, the Isaaq clan claims paternal descent from one Shaykh Ishaq ibn Ahmad al-Hashimi (Sheikh Isaaq). "Sab" is the term used to refer to minority clans in contrast to "Samaale".

The Digil and Mirifle (Rahanweyn) are agro-pastoral clans in the area between the Jubba and Shebelle rivers. Many do not follow a nomadic lifestyle, live further south and speak Maay. Although in the past frequently classified as a Somali dialect, more recent research by the linguist Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi suggests that Maay constitutes a separate but closely related Afro-Asiatic language of the Cushitic branch.

A third group, the occupational clans, have sometimes been treated as outcasts because traditionally they could 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, tanning and hunting. Minority Somali clans include the Gaboye, Tumaal, Yibir, 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. Note that some sources state that the Rahanweyn group is made up of the Digil and Mirifle clans, whereas others list the Digil as a separate group from the Rahanweyn.

Major clans

• Darod
  • Awrtable, Dhulbahante, Dishiishe, Jidwaq, Leelkase, Majeerteen, Marehan, Mora'ase, Ogaden and Warsangali
• Dir
  • Akisho, Qubeys, Biyomaal, Gaadsan, Issa, Jaarso, Gurgura, Surre, Isaaq, Barsug, Dabrube, Warday, Layile, Garire, Jide, Lo'Jiir, Gelwaqlle, Masalalay, Gadabuursi
• Hawiye
  • Abgaal, Ujedein, Ajuran, Jijeele, Baadicadde, Gaaljecel, Degodia, Duduble, Sheekhaal, Habar Gidir, Hawadle, Murule, Murusade, Silcis, Wadalaan, Xaskul
• Isaaq
  • Arap, Ayoup, Garhajis (Eidagale and Habar Yoonis), Habar Awal (Sacad Muuse and Ciise Muuse), Habar Jeclo and Tol Jecle (Axmed Sheikh Isaxaaq)
• Rahanweyn
  • Digil
    • Dabarre, Jiddu, Garre, Tunni, Geledi
  • Mirifle
    • Jilible, Hadame, Harin, Eelay, Jiron, Leysan

Minor clans

• • Ashraaf, Bravanese, Benadiri, Gabooyo, Madhiban, Muse clan, Reerow-Xassan, Tumaal, Yibir

Other ethnic groups

Non-Somali ethnic minority groups make up about 15% of the nation's population. They include Bantus, Bajunis, Eyle, Ethiopians, Indians, Pakistanis, Persians, Italians and Britons.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Somalia

Speech sample in Standard Somali.

Somali and Arabic are the official languages of Somalia. The Somali language is the mother tongue of the Somali people, the nation's most populous ethnic group. It is a member of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.

In addition to Somali, Arabic, which is also an Afro-Asiatic tongue, is an official national language in Somalia. Many Somalis speak it due to centuries-old ties with the Arab world, the far-reaching influence of the Arabic media, and religious education.

English is widely used and taught. Italian used to be a major language, but its influence significantly diminished following independence. It is now most frequently heard among older generations. Other minority languages include Bravanese, a variant of the Bantu Swahili language that is spoken along the coast by the Bravanese people, as well as Bajuni, another Swahili dialect that is the mother tongue of the Bajuni ethnic minority group.

Population

According to the 2010 revision of the UN's World Population Prospects, the total population was 9,331,000 in 2010, 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.

	Total population (x 1000)	Population aged 0–14 (%)	Population aged 15–64 (%)	Population aged 65+ (%)
1950	2 264	41.2	56.2	2.6
1955	2 522	42.6	54.7	2.7
1960	2 819	44.2	53.0	2.8
1965	3 171	45.3	51.8	2.9
1970	3 601	45.5	51.6	2.9
1975	4 118	45.8	51.2	3.0
1980	6 436	46.2	50.9	2.9
1985	6 364	45.1	52.0	2.9
1990	6 599	44.4	52.6	2.9
1995	6 525	43.2	53.9	2.8
2000	7 399	44.1	53.1	2.8
2005	8 360	44.6	52.6	2.8
2010	9 331	44.9	52.3	2.7

Vital statistics

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

Period	Live births per year	Deaths per year	Natural change per year	CBR*	CDR*	NC*	TFR*	IMR*
1950-1955	128 000	76 000	52 000	53.4	31.9	21.5	7.25	207
1955-1960	139 000	79 000	60 000	52.1	29.7	22.4	7.25	193
1960-1965	153 000	82 000	71 000	51.0	27.5	23.6	7.25	179
1965-1970	172 000	86 000	86 000	50.8	25.5	25.3	7.25	167
1970-1975	194 000	91 000	103 000	50.4	23.6	26.8	7.10	155
1975-1980	266 000	120 000	146 000	50.3	22.7	27.7	7.00	149
1980-1985	280 000	128 000	152 000	43.8	20.0	23.8	6.70	138
1985-1990	293 000	120 000	174 000	45.3	18.5	26.8	6.70	127
1990-1995	299 000	135 000	164 000	45.6	20.6	25.0	6.50	141
1995-2000	320 000	125 000	195 000	45.9	17.9	28.0	6.50	123
2000-2005	360 000	128 000	232 000	45.7	16.2	29.5	6.50	111
2005-2010	391 000	137 000	254 000	44.2	15.5	28.7	6.40	107
* 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)

Demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook:

Population

10,428,043 (2014 est.)

Age structure

0–14 years: 44% (male 2,293,746/female 2,298,442)
15–64 years: 53.7% (male 2,857,429/female 2,741,275)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 92,707/female 144,444) (2014 est.)

Population growth rate

1.75% (2014 est.)

Birth rate

40.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate

13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Net migration rate

-9.51 migrants/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 37.7% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.79 annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate

100.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
male: 108.89 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 92.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.58 years
male: 49.58 years
female: 53.65 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.08 children born/woman (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

31,200 (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,500 (2012 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high
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 disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Nationality

noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali

Ethnic groups

Somali 85%; Arabs, Bantu and other non-Somali 15%

Religions

Islam (Sunni)

Languages

Somali (official) and Arabic (official)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: N/A

See also

• Somalia
• Demographics of Djibouti
• Demographics of Eritrea
• Demographics of Ethiopia

Notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

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

• "The Somali Ethnic Group and Clan System", from "Reunification of the Somali People", Jack L. Davies