The Somali government has initiated its first national population and housing census in nearly 50 years, with completion expected in two years.
At Tuesday’s launch event in an airport hangar, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, the Mogadishu Mayor, cabinet ministers, and diplomats were present. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the government’s dedication to executing a reliable census to inform essential policies based on precise and verifiable data. He praised international partners for collaborating with the Somali government in conducting the first national census in half a century.
Mogadishu Mayor and Governor of Benadir Regional Administration, Yussuf Hussein Jimaale, stressed the importance of the census and expressed full commitment to its success.
The Federal Minister for Planning, Investment, and Economic Development highlighted the national census’s role in providing accurate, current population and housing data, enabling the government to plan and implement policies and programs that benefit all Somalis.
The Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) explained that the census aims to collect crucial information about the country’s population, including demographic data, social and economic characteristics, and housing conditions. The census will inform government resource allocation and funding levels for essential programs like healthcare, education, and social welfare, playing a critical role in Somalia’s constitution finalization and democratization process.
The SNBS Director General emphasized that trained professionals would conduct the census, collecting data nationwide through in-person visits. Every household will be documented, with information gathered about the number of people, their ages, sex, education, employment status, and housing conditions and infrastructure.
Dr. Abdi Ali Ige, head of the Somali Population and Housing Census, will supervise the project, following a standard international methodology. The census will begin with urban populations before progressing to rural and nomadic communities.
The National Bureau of Statistics, with support from the United Nations Population Fund and other international partners, will conduct the census. Federal government leaders encouraged Somali citizens to participate in the census and provide accurate information vital for government planning and development. They assured citizens that all collected data would remain confidential and be used solely for statistical purposes.
Somalia’s last formal census occurred in 1975, with a population of 4.2 million. A second census occurred in 1984 but went unpublished. Since then, population estimates from Somali and United Nations officials have ranged between 12 and 16 million.
