Social media and LinkedIn growing fast

The force

More Somalis use social media every year, and the platforms that grow fastest are video and professional networks.

The numbers (late 2025)

All figures are from DataReportal's Digital 2026 report for Somalia (DataReportal):

• Social media accounts: 3.51 million, 17.7% of the population, up 435,000 (14.1%).
• TikTok: reaches 3.51 million adults, 37.7% of adults, up 14.1%.
• Facebook: reaches 2.70 million people, up 8.0%.
• LinkedIn: 420,000 members, 2.1% of the population, up 80,000 (23.5%).
• Instagram: reaches 511,000 people, down 2.1%.
• Internet users: 5.47 million, 27.6%, up only 3.4%.

DataReportal warns that "reach" figures count advertising audiences, not daily active users.

What the numbers show

Internet users are growing slowly, but social media accounts are growing fast. So most of the growth comes from people already online using more platforms, rather than new people coming online.

TikTok reaches more Somali adults than Facebook does. Somali-language learning channels are among the top YouTube channels in the country: Guux Media has 97,700 subscribers and 17.1 million views, and waxkabaro Academy has 73,700 subscribers (vidIQ). A deaf runner from Somaliland passed 100 million TikTok views in March 2026 (AllAfrica).

LinkedIn and work

LinkedIn is where graduates look for work and employers look for staff. Somalia has more than 126 universities and colleges (Dawan), and youth unemployment was 37.4% in the 2019 labour survey (NBS). In Ethiopia, LinkedIn grew from 870,000 members in 2023 to 1.4 million in early 2025, driven by young graduates (Addis Insight).

Why it is a tailwind

Young Somalis at home and abroad can find each other, share work and build an audience without paid advertising. A Somali in Toronto and a Somali in Kismayo are on the same platforms.

What it means for young Somalis

A young Somali's skills can be seen by an employer anywhere. A young creator can teach, entertain or explain to millions in Somali. The tools are free and the audience is growing every month.