People displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia
Somalia: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 2.04 million number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia, 2008–2023
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.
Analysis
In 2023, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia stood at 2.04 million number of cases. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is up 77.3% on the previous year and up 3,305.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia peaked at 2.04 million number of cases in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5,200 number of cases, in 2010.
Somalia ranks 4th of 146 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia, year by year
| Year | number of cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12,000 number of cases | — |
| 2010 | 5,200 number of cases | -56.7% |
| 2012 | 28,000 number of cases | +438.5% |
| 2013 | 60,000 number of cases | +114.3% |
| 2014 | 36,000 number of cases | -40.0% |
| 2015 | 59,000 number of cases | +63.9% |
| 2016 | 70,000 number of cases | +18.6% |
| 2017 | 892,000 number of cases | +1174.3% |
| 2018 | 547,000 number of cases | -38.7% |
| 2019 | 475,000 number of cases | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 1.04 million number of cases | +118.3% |
| 2021 | 271,000 number of cases | -73.9% |
| 2022 | 1.15 million number of cases | +325.1% |
| 2023 | 2.04 million number of cases | +77.3% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 2.04 million number of cases is above the median for low income countries, which is 82,500 number of cases, 24.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 2.04 million number of cases is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22,500 number of cases, 90.8× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People displaced internally by natural disasters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +1174.3% | 70,000 number of cases | 892,000 number of cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12,000 number of cases | 12,000 number of cases | 12,000 number of cases | 1 |
| 2010s | 241,356 number of cases | 5,200 number of cases | 892,000 number of cases | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.13 million number of cases | 271,000 number of cases | 2.04 million number of cases | 4 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More reference data data for Somalia
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Burning - Crop residues 0.4444 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3652 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 234.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 43.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 96.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Enteric Fermentation 28,272 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Crop Residues 71.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Enteric Fermentation 1,010 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2685 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia?
- People displaced internally by natural disasters in Somalia was 2.04 million number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.04 million number of cases in 2023.
- What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,200 number of cases in 2010.
- How does Somalia rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
- Somalia ranks 4th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,305.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.