Somalia and its neighbours: key economic figures compared

The figures

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (updated 13 July 2026), except: (a) Central Bank of Somalia, because the World Bank has no value for Somalia; (b) IMF, net private transfers, mainly remittances. The World Bank has no value for Somalia, and the IMF measure is not identical to the World Bank's personal remittances.

GDP per person in 2025. Somalia's official statistics office gives a higher figure (US$793) because it uses a smaller population estimate.

What the figures mean

Growth and size.

• Somalia's official revision: the World Bank's figures for Somalia still use the earlier official series. The Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) revised it in June 2026, giving GDP of US$13.2 billion and growth of 3.1% in 2025. The two series are close for 2025. See Somalia's economy at a glance.
• Ethiopia's currency float: Ethiopia's GDP in US dollars fell in 2025 even though its economy grew about 9.8%. Ethiopia let the market set the value of its currency, the birr, on 29 July 2024, so its output is worth fewer dollars.
• Forecasts: for 2026 the IMF expected Somalia to grow 2.6% (April 2026), and the World Bank "about 2.8 percent" (Macro Poverty Outlook, April 2026). Xidig could not retrieve a consistent set of 2026 forecasts for all six countries.

Income per person and population. Figures per person depend on the population used. The World Bank uses about 19.7 million people for Somalia; SNBS gives US$793 per person, which implies a smaller population of about 16.7 million (the government's investment booklet gives about 16.3 million). Somalia has had no recent census.

Prices.

• Somalia: inflation averaged 3.7% in 2025 but rose above 8% in May and June 2026 before easing to 6.7% in July (SNBS). The economy is largely dollarised; the planned return of the Somali shilling is covered in The new Somali shilling: what's changing, and when.
• Djibouti: its franc is fixed to the US dollar. The central bank says "Le franc Djibouti est rattaché au dollar US par une parité fixe de 177.721 francs Djibouti pour 1 dollar US" (the Djibouti franc is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 177.721 francs per dollar).
• Kenya: its central bank aims to keep inflation "within the 5.0±2.5 percent target range" (Central Bank of Kenya, October 2025 policy report, published December 2025).

Investment. Somalia's foreign direct investment (US$765 million in 2024) was larger than Kenya's that year, in World Bank data, but small compared with Ethiopia's or Uganda's. The Central Bank of Somalia reports US$880 million for 2025.

Remittances. The IMF puts Somalia's net private transfers, mainly remittances, at about 19.8% of GDP in 2024. In the neighbouring countries, the World Bank's personal remittances are 1–5% of GDP. The two measures differ, but the gap is large enough to show that remittances matter far more to Somalia. See Remittances to Somalia: what the numbers mean.

Trade.

• Exports: Somalia's exports of goods and services were about 29% of GDP in 2025. The Central Bank of Somalia reports goods exports of US$1.26 billion against goods imports of US$7.30 billion in 2025.
• Djibouti: its exports are larger than its GDP because they include port and transit services for its neighbours.

Electricity and internet.

• Electricity: about 54% of Somalis had access to electricity in 2024, similar to Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, and below Kenya (77%). Access is not the same as reliable supply: the World Bank's 2026 Somalia Economic Update, based on household reports, gives a higher access figure (71% of households) but finds that only 21% get more than eight hours of supply a day.
• Internet: about 28% of Somalis used the internet in 2024, more than in Ethiopia or Uganda but less than in Kenya, Tanzania or Djibouti. These are estimates by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); Uganda's low figure should be read with care.

Regional trade agreements.

• East African Community (EAC): "The Federal Republic of Somalia has finally joined the East African Community as the bloc's 8th Partner State" after depositing its instrument of ratification on 4 March 2024 (EAC Secretariat).
• COMESA: Somalia joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in July 2018, as its 21st member.
• IGAD: Somalia is a member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, with Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
• African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Somalia deposited its instrument of ratification at the African Union on 4 September 2026, according to tralac; Dawan also reported the deposit. The House of the People had approved the agreement in October 2025. Tralac notes that Somalia still has to load its AfCFTA tariff schedule into its customs system before trade under the agreement starts.

Other neighbours. South Sudan and Eritrea are not in the table because the World Bank has no recent figures for most indicators. Sudan is left out because war has disrupted its economy and its data.

What this means (Xidig's interpretation). Somalia is the poorest of these six economies per person and grows more slowly, but it is not an outlier on prices, electricity access or investment. Its distinctive features are its reliance on remittances and imports, and its new place in regional trade blocs, which could open neighbouring markets to Somali traders once the agreements are fully applied.

Where Xidig members may contribute

• Business plans and grant applications: cite the linked sources and years, not this page's rounded figures.
• Market research: compare prices, power costs and connectivity when deciding where to base a regional business.
• Trade: follow how the EAC and AfCFTA rules are applied at Somali customs.

What is confirmed, and what isn't

Confirmed

• World Bank figures for all six countries, as published on 13 July 2026.
• Somalia's inflation (Central Bank of Somalia) and net private transfers (IMF).
• Somalia's EAC accession (March 2024) and COMESA membership (2018).

Our interpretation

• Remittances and imports are what most set Somalia apart from its neighbours.

Not yet verified

• A consistent set of 2026 forecasts for all six countries.
• The African Union's own record of Somalia's AfCFTA ratification. An AfCFTA Secretariat page from February 2026 already called Somalia "the 50th State Party", before the September 2026 deposit reported by tralac and Dawan.

Related reports

• Somalia's economy at a glance: the latest figures, with sources
• Remittances to Somalia: what the numbers mean
• The National Transformation Plan 2025–2029 in brief
• Investing in Somalia: registration, tax, land, visas and permits
• The new Somali shilling: what's changing, and when