Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Somalia

Somalia: Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 was 55.1% in 2025. β—† Volatile

Latest (2025)
55.1%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
160th
of 238 countries
All-time high
55.1%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025

Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Somalia, 1000–2025

0204060100015122025

Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Somalia recorded 55.1% for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 25.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Somalia peaked at 55.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.

That places Somalia 160th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1100s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1200s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1300s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1400s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1500s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1600s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1
1700s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
1710s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
1720s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
1730s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
1740s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1
1750s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1
1760s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 1
1770s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1
1780s 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 1
1790s 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 1
1800s 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 1
1810s 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1
1820s 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1
1830s 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1
1840s 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1
1850s 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1
1860s 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 1
1870s 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 1
1880s 3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 1
1890s 4.3% 4.3% 4.3% 1
1900s 5.1% 5.1% 5.1% 1
1910s 6.1% 6.1% 6.1% 1
1920s 7.4% 7.4% 7.4% 1
1930s 8.8% 8.8% 8.8% 1
1940s 10.6% 10.6% 10.6% 1
1950s 15.0% 12.9% 17.2% 10
1960s 20.1% 17.7% 22.7% 10
1970s 25.2% 23.2% 26.6% 10
1980s 27.9% 26.8% 29.1% 10
1990s 30.9% 29.4% 32.6% 10
2000s 35.3% 33.1% 37.8% 10
2010s 44.3% 38.6% 51.6% 10
2020s 53.8% 52.3% 55.1% 6

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 157 Senegal 55.8% compare
  2. 158 Cameroon 55.7% compare
  3. 159 Haiti 55.6% compare
  4. 161 Cote d'Ivoire 54.5% compare
  5. 162 Trinidad and Tobago 54.0% compare
  6. 163 Benin 53.4% compare

See the full ranking of 239 places β†’

More population data for Somalia

All data for Somalia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Somalia?
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Somalia was 55.1% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 2025.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
How does Somalia rank for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050?
Somalia ranks 160th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Somalia data come from?
The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050
Unit
%
Source
HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
239 places, 24,444 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.