Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Somalia
Somalia: Life expectancy at birth, male (years) was 56.49 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth, male in Somalia, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth, male in Somalia stood at 56.49 years. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, male in Somalia peaked at 56.49 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.71 years, in 1991.
Somalia ranks 213th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Somalia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 42.1 years | — |
| 1961 | 42.21 years | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 42.51 years | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 42.74 years | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 42.94 years | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 43.17 years | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 43.39 years | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 43.6 years | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 43.8 years | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 44 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 44.19 years | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 44.38 years | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 44.58 years | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 44.77 years | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 42.85 years | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 43.08 years | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 43.32 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 45.56 years | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 45.42 years | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 45.97 years | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 46.17 years | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 46.39 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 46.59 years | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 46.8 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 47.01 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 46.88 years | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 47.02 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 47.56 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 39.86 years | -16.2% |
| 1989 | 42.94 years | +7.7% |
| 1990 | 43.13 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 23.71 years | -45.0% |
| 1992 | 23.88 years | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 49.05 years | +105.5% |
| 1994 | 48.81 years | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 49.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 48.97 years | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 48.8 years | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 49.3 years | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 49.15 years | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 49.33 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 49.41 years | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 49.4 years | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 49.23 years | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 49.16 years | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 49.39 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 49.31 years | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 49.22 years | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 49.77 years | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 50.5 years | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 47.07 years | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 31.29 years | -33.5% |
| 2012 | 47.32 years | +51.2% |
| 2013 | 52.12 years | +10.1% |
| 2014 | 52.39 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 53.04 years | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 53.09 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 50.18 years | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 52.69 years | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 55.24 years | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 55.08 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 53.72 years | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 51.79 years | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 56.35 years | +8.8% |
| 2024 | 56.49 years | +0.2% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 56.49 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 61.82 years, 91% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 56.49 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.25 years, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Somalia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +105.5% | 23.88 years | 49.05 years |
| 2012 | +51.2% | 31.29 years | 47.32 years |
| 1991 | -45.0% | 43.13 years | 23.71 years |
| 2011 | -33.5% | 47.07 years | 31.29 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43.05 years | 42.1 years | 44 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.41 years | 42.85 years | 45.97 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.72 years | 39.86 years | 47.56 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.39 years | 23.71 years | 49.3 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.47 years | 49.16 years | 50.5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.44 years | 31.29 years | 55.24 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.69 years | 51.79 years | 56.49 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 210 Benin 59.52 years compare
- 211 Mali 59.25 years compare
- 212 Burkina Faso 59.11 years compare
- 214 Central African Republic 55.51 years compare
- 215 Lesotho 55.03 years compare
- 216 South Sudan 54.76 years compare
More health data for Somalia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8681 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 32,421 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 182 (2013)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0897 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0926 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, male in Somalia?
- Life expectancy at birth, male in Somalia was 56.49 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 56.49 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.71 years in 1991.
- How does Somalia rank for life expectancy at birth, male?
- Somalia ranks 213th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, male rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, male (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.