What is life expectancy in Somalia?

Life expectancy in Somalia was 58.82 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Somalia?

The highest recorded value was 58.82 years in 2023.

What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Somalia?

The lowest recorded value was 25.03 years in 1992.

How does Somalia rank for life expectancy?

Somalia ranks 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is life expectancy rising or falling in Somalia?

Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Somalia data come from?

The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Life expectancy in Somalia

Name: Life expectancy in Somalia
Creator: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Somalia: Life expectancy was 58.82 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

58.82 years

Change on year

up 9.1%

World rank

231st

of 236 countries

All-time high

58.82 years

in 2023

All-time low

25.03 years

in 1992

Years of data

1950–2023

Life expectancy in Somalia, 1950–2023

Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2023, life expectancy in Somalia stood at 58.82 years. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of up 9.1% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy in Somalia peaked at 58.82 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.03 years, in 1992.

Somalia ranks 231st of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	42.4 years	41.45 years	43.34 years	10
1960s	44.5 years	43.54 years	45.45 years	10
1970s	45.86 years	44.26 years	47.41 years	10
1980s	47.64 years	43.93 years	49 years	10
1990s	45.1 years	25.03 years	50.76 years	10
2000s	51.01 years	50.68 years	52.1 years	10
2010s	51.35 years	32.45 years	57.25 years	10
2020s	56.39 years	53.93 years	58.82 years	4

Countries ranked near Somalia

228 Benin 60.77 years compare
229 Guinea 60.74 years compare
230 Mali 60.44 years compare
232 South Sudan 57.62 years compare
233 Central African Republic 57.41 years compare
234 Lesotho 57.37 years compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Somalia

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 987.7 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 32,421 deaths (2100)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 1,320 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 1,320 deaths (2026)
Population, female 49.9% (2025)
Age population, age 11, male, interpolated 271,818 (2025)
Age population, age 12, female, interpolated 254,467 (2025)
Age population, age 20, male, interpolated 192,115 (2025)
Population, male 9.84 million (2025)
Age population, age 20, female, interpolated 188,732 (2025)

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy in Somalia?: Life expectancy in Somalia was 58.82 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Somalia?: The highest recorded value was 58.82 years in 2023.
What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Somalia?: The lowest recorded value was 25.03 years in 1992.
How does Somalia rank for life expectancy?: Somalia ranks 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is life expectancy rising or falling in Somalia?: Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Somalia data come from?: The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Life expectancy
Unit: years
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 19,452 data points, 1543–2023
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.