Employment in Somalia
Somalia: Employment was 2,882 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Somalia, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Somalia stood at 2,882. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 43.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Somalia peaked at 2,882 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 948.74, in 1992.
That places Somalia 110th out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Somalia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 994.79 | — |
| 1992 | 948.74 | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 977.93 | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 1,018 | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 1,059 | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 1,098 | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 1,143 | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 1,191 | +4.2% |
| 1999 | 1,238 | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 1,290 | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 1,341 | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 1,391 | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 1,441 | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 1,492 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 1,539 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 1,579 | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 1,623 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 1,671 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 1,715 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 1,761 | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 1,781 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1,805 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 1,869 | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 1,941 | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 2,013 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 2,091 | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 2,181 | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 2,257 | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 2,341 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 2,396 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 2,483 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 2,598 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | 2,690 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 2,789 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | 2,882 | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,074 | 948.74 | 1,238 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1,508 | 1,290 | 1,715 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,004 | 1,761 | 2,341 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,640 | 2,396 | 2,882 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 107 Kuwait 2,959 compare
- 108 Norway 2,958 compare
- 109 El Salvador 2,891 compare
- 111 New Zealand 2,880 compare
- 112 Sierra Leone 2,843 compare
- 113 Oman 2,751 compare
More work & labour data for Somalia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4323 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4971 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7917 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 22,865 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,986 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 34,351 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,013 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 67,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Somalia?
- Employment in Somalia was 2,882 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 2,882 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 948.74 in 1992.
- How does Somalia rank for employment?
- Somalia ranks 110th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.