Unemployment rate in Somalia
Somalia: Unemployment rate was 18.95 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
18.95
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
9th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.97
in 1994
All-time low
18.45
in 2017
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Somalia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 18.95 for unemployment rate in 2025.
The figure is up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Somalia peaked at 19.97 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 18.45, in 2017.
That places Somalia 9th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Unemployment rate in Somalia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19 | — |
| 1992 | 19.38 | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 19.33 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 19.97 | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 19.59 | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 19.46 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 18.9 | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 18.82 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 18.85 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 18.68 | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 18.66 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 18.66 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 18.65 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 18.65 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 18.67 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 18.7 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 18.69 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 18.71 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 18.72 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 18.74 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 18.76 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 18.77 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 18.66 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 18.59 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 18.5 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 18.61 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 18.45 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 18.7 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 18.83 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 19.41 | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 19.66 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 19.11 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 18.96 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 18.95 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 18.95 | -0.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 18.95 is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.43, 4.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 18.95 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 3.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.26 | 18.82 | 19.97 | 9 |
| 2000s | 18.68 | 18.65 | 18.72 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.66 | 18.45 | 18.83 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.17 | 18.95 | 19.66 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
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 unemployment rate in Somalia?
- Unemployment rate in Somalia was 18.95 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.97 in 1994.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.45 in 2017.
- How does Somalia rank for unemployment rate?
- Somalia ranks 9th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).