Somalia's economy at a glance
Somalia's economy in numbers: GDP, growth, spending, trade, money from abroad, the budget and debt, with sources from the Central Bank and IMF.
Dhaqaalaha
Money and work
How Somalis earn, trade, send and save: mobile money, money sent home, markets, livestock trade, jobs, banks and the national budget. Every number links to its source.
Banks, finance and the budget
Banks in Somalia
Somalia's banks in numbers: who is licensed, how much they hold and lend, Islamic banking, microfinance, and how the system was rebuilt after 1991.
The Somali shilling and the dollar
The story of the Somali shilling from 1960 to today: why the economy runs on dollars, the street exchange rate, the plan for new notes, and the Somaliland shilling.
Somalia's federal budget and taxes
How Somalia's federal government and member states raise and spend money: the 2026 budget, taxes, grants, salaries, and each state's own accounts.
Somalia's debt and debt relief
How Somalia cleared most of its foreign debt: the old debt, the HIPC debt relief process from 2020 to 2023, the Paris Club, and who Somalia owes today.
Aid to Somalia: how much, from whom, and the 2025 to 2026 cuts
How much aid Somalia receives, who gives it, how it reaches people by mobile money, and what the 2025 and 2026 funding cuts mean for families.
Baxnaano: Somalia's national cash safety net
How Baxnaano, Somalia's national safety net, works: who gets it, how much, how it is paid by mobile money, who funds it, and the 2025 youth jobs extension.
Somalia's National Transformation Plan 2025 to 2029 and Vision 2060
What Somalia's National Transformation Plan 2025-2029 contains: its four pillars, its economic targets, how it was made, and how it fits Centennial Vision 2060.
Somalia's economic history, 1920s to today
A sourced history of Somalia's economy: colonial plantations, the 1960s republic, scientific socialism, debt and IMF reforms, the 1991 collapse and the private-led rebuild.
Work and business
How many people live in Somalia? Population, ages and growth
Somalia's population from 1950 to 2050: how many people, how young, how fast it grows, how many live in towns, and why the numbers differ. With a data file.
Why is Somalia poor? The numbers and the forces
A calm, sourced answer to why Somalia is poor: income per person, poverty, the 1991 collapse, drought, exports, jobs, taxes, debt, and what is changing now.
How to find a job in Somalia: the real job boards
Where jobs in Somalia are really advertised: the National Job Portal, ReliefWeb, Somali Jobs, UN careers, and how to spot a fake vacancy.
How to start and register a business in Somalia
Step by step: how to register a business in Somalia online, what you need, how long it takes, banks and microfinance, and where to get help.
Investing in Somalia: what flows in, where, and the rules
Investment in Somalia in numbers: foreign direct investment, the sectors, the rules for investors, the new stock exchange, funds and the main risks.
Jobs, work and poverty in Somalia
Work and poverty in Somalia from the national household survey: poverty by area, who works and in what, youth unemployment, small family businesses and bank accounts.
Money sent home
Money sent home: remittances to Somalia
How much money Somalis abroad send home, how it travels (hawala, banks, mobile money), who receives it and what it costs, with Central Bank data.
How to send money to Somalia: ways, costs and rules
A plain guide to sending money home to Somalia: the ways to send, what it costs, the US remittance tax, what the receiver needs, and how to check a provider.
Hawala and Somali money transfer companies
How Somali hawala money transfer companies work, how they grew after 1991, Dahabshiil and the other main firms, the bank account closures, and how they are regulated today.
Dahabshiil: the largest Somali money transfer company
Dahabshiil in facts: how it began, its size, its bank and telecom interests, its regulators, and the 2013 Barclays case.
Mobile money and payments
Mobile money in Somalia
How mobile money works in Somalia: EVC Plus, Zaad, Sahal, eDahab, the Central Bank licences, the dollar, and the national instant payment system.
Trade and ports
Somalia's trade: exports and imports
What Somalia exports and imports, in numbers: livestock, crops, fish, food and fuel imports, the trade gap, and trade blocs Somalia has joined.
Somalia's seaports: Mogadishu, Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo
Somalia's main seaports: who runs Mogadishu, Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo, the operator deals, the undersea cables that land there, and the 2026 dispute over UAE agreements.
Prices and the cost of living
Prices and the cost of living in Somalia
Inflation and the cost of living in Somalia: the official price index, which costs rose most, grain prices after the 2025 drought, and forecasts.
Telecoms and tech companies
Telecoms and internet in Somalia
Who runs Somalia's phone and internet networks, the regulator and its licences, undersea cables, Starlink, 5G, and how many people are online.
Hormuud Telecom: Somalia's largest phone and mobile money company
Hormuud Telecom in facts: founding, owners, EVC Plus and WAAFI, network coverage, cables, licences, jobs and its foundation.
The economy by region
The economy of Somaliland: budget, shilling, Zaad and Berbera
Somaliland's economy in facts: GDP, the 2026 budget, the Somaliland shilling and exchange rules, Zaad and eDahab, banks, and Berbera port.
How Somalia's federal member states raise and spend money
Revenue, grants and spending of Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West State in 2025, and federal transfers to the states.
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Since 1895, every generation has worked for one united, prosperous Somalia. Now it is our generation.
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