Life in Somalia: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated September 2026 · methodology
A child born in Somalia in the 2020s can expect to live 62 years on an average income of 3,800 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To look at the data of Somalia is to witness the gradual widening of a human horizon. It is the difference between a world where child mortality was 320 per 1,000 births and one where it is 75 per 1,000 births. It is the quiet shift in the home, where electricity at home rose from 3 to 48 % and internet access grew from 0 to 29 %. These are not mere percentages; they are the markers of how a person wakes, learns, and connects to the rest of the planet.
The historical arc reveals a society in motion, moving away from a period where life expectancy was 36 years. Since the 1950s, extreme poverty has fallen from 75 to 35 %, while the capacity for knowledge expanded as years of schooling moved from 1.2 to 6 years. This trajectory is etched into the body itself, with average male height rising from 167 to 169 cm. Urbanization has shifted from 11 to 41 %, signaling a structural evolution in how the population inhabits the land.
Today, a child born in Somalia in the 2020s can expect to live 62 years on an average income of 3,800 international dollars. While the children per woman rate has declined from 6.6 to 4.6 births, the boundaries of experience have expanded. The daily rhythm of labor has softened, with annual working hours moving from 2,200 to 2,050 hours/year. You are invited to see your parallel life in Somalia to understand the true weight of these shifting human statistics.
Explore the birth lottery and compute your own parallel lives on MYRIAD.
🇸🇴 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for Somalia — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 36 | 62 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 1,500 | 3,800 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 320 | 75 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 1.2 | 6 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 6.6 | 4.6 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 11 | 41 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 29 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 3 | 48 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 11 | 9.5 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,200 | 2,050 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 167 | 169 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 75 | 35 % | history → |
See your parallel life in Somalia →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in Somalia?
62 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is Somalia a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where Somalia lands for your cohort.