Somalia: capital, population, area and flag
Somalia is a country in Eastern Africa (Africa). Its capital is Mogadishu. The population is about 19.7M (#66 of 193) and the area is about 637,657 km² (#43 of 193).
Key facts
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Region
- Africa / Eastern Africa
- Population
- 19,654,739 (2025) #66 of 193
- Total area
- 637,657 km² (2024) #43 of 193
- Population density
- 30.3 people/km² (2024) #150 of 193
- GDP (total)
- $13B (2025) #145 of 189
- GDP per capita
- $661 (2025) #184 of 189
- Life expectancy
- 59.0 years (2024) #188 of 193
- Distance from Japan
- 10,268 km #88 of 192
- Area compared with Japan
- about 1.7 times that of Japan
- Population compared with Japan
- about 1/6 that of Japan
- Main languages
- Somali, Arabic
- Currency
- Somali Shilling (SOS)
- Calling code
- +252
- Time zone (capital)
- UTC+3
- Time difference from Japan (standard time)
- 6 h behind Japan
- Driving side
- Right
- Capital location
- 2.04°N 45.34°E
Population of Somalia, 1950–2100 (Japanese)
See past estimates, future projections and the population pyramid in the World Population Time Machine.
Map of Somalia
Capital: Mogadishu
Somalia: in the world’s top 10 for food & farming
Somalia ranks among the world’s top 10 for these crops, animals, seafood and farm products (latest FAO data).
Neighbors by land
Top rankings
Somalia is in the top 10 for:
Somalia in world rankings
How Somalia compares with other countries, indicator by indicator. Click an indicator to see the full ranking.
Questions about Somalia
What is the capital of Somalia?
The capital of Somalia is Mogadishu.
What is the population of Somalia?
Somalia has a population of about 19.7M (2025), #66 of 193 among countries.
How big is Somalia?
Somalia covers about 637,657 km², #43 of 193 among countries.
Which continent is Somalia in?
Somalia is in Africa, in the region of Eastern Africa.
What currency and languages are used in Somalia?
The currency is the Somali Shilling. Main languages: Somali, Arabic.
How does Somalia compare with Japan in size and population?
The area of Somalia is about 1.7 times that of Japan, and its population is about 1/6 that of Japan.
How far is Somalia from Japan?
The capital, Mogadishu, is about 10,268 km from Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in a straight line.
What is the time difference between Somalia and Japan?
The capital, Mogadishu, is on UTC+3 in standard time: 6 h behind Japan.
More countries in Eastern Africa
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