News and Events

SOMALIA JOINT MONITORING REPORT

UPDATE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY CRISIS RISKS JULY 2024 – REPORT #1

The Joint Monitoring Report (JMR) for Somalia, which uses data up to April 2024 and statistical modeling to highlight food and nutrition security risks at the district level, recorded 56 critical and 56 heightened risk alerts1 in April and estimated that 620,000 people (3.31% of the population) lived in areas at risk of deteriorating into Emergency (IPC Phase 4) or worse food insecurity conditions across several regions.

The five regions with the highest risk of experiencing food and nutrition security deterioration were Galgaduud, Gedo, Sanaag, Togdheer, and Woqooyi Galbeed. The ten districts with the highest risk were Beledxaawo, Berbera, Cabudwagg, Ceel Afweyn, Ceel Buur, Ceeriggabo, Doolow, Garbahaarrey, Hargeysa, and Lasqorey.

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Assessment and Mapping of the Migration Data Production Capacities of the Government of Somalia

This report is based on an assessment and mapping exercise, which was informed primarily through key informant interviews conducted during and after a mission to Mogadishu, Somalia in March of 2022. The assessment employed the Toolkit to assess national migration data capacity, an assessment questionnaire which was developed by the United Nations Statistics Division in 2018 to assess national capacity of producing reliable, timely, and comparable statistics on international migration and to identify areas where capacity building is needed. This report includes key recommendations and priority action areas, including the establishment of a migration data technical working group and the production of a thematic report on migration using existing survey data.

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SNBS Holds Validation Workshop for Somalia Poverty Analysis Report

Mogadishu, Saturday, August 19, 2023. Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) conducts a validation workshop for Somalia’s Poverty and Inequality Analysis Report. The event, whose participants were drawn from across relevant ministries, departments and agencies, took place at the Bureau’s offices in Mogadishu.

The workshop presented participants with an opportunity to go through the report, understand the basis of its compilation and incorporate their feedbacks and comments into the final draft before the ultimate launch of the report later this month. It was noted that throughout this session, participants conducted a cordial and collaborative analysis of the documents, with a view to achieving a holistic understanding and earn a buy-in from all partakers. The SNBS stives to involve stakeholders and relevant government institutions in its statistical activities in order to coordinate generation and dissemination of official government statistics. 

More about the findings and key highlights of the report will be published during the launch of the Final Poverty Report.

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Statistics User Producer Consultation Forum

Statistics User Producer Consultation Forum

PRESS RELEASE

Mogadishu, Sunday, 6 August, 2023. Somali Integrated Statistics and Economic Planning Capacity Building Project holds User-Producer Consultation forum of official statistics for relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), representatives from the academia, civil society, research firms, media fraternity, among other stakeholders.

User—producer of Statistics forum is crucial in enhancing effective communication and coordination of statistical work both within the Government as well as with universities, researchers and the private sector. The event presents an opportunity to engage with stakeholders, sensitize parties about the importance of coordination and optimization of an effective national statistical system. The availability of quality official statistics is prerequisite to the formulation of prudent and compelling public policies that are data-driven.

Users of statistics rely on data to inform the decisions, allocate basic services based on facts and scientific findings, help spur investments and lay the foundation for economic growth in the country. Whether it is analysing trends, identifying patterns, or identifying areas of improvement, statistics helps policy makers to make informed choices. Producers of statistics ought to present information in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner since the power of statistics manifests in effectively communicating info, hence influence opinions.

Federal Minister of Planning, Investment & Economic Development, H.E Mohamud Beenebeene who unveiled the event stated, “statistics work is critical for development initiatives that seek to advance government programs, projects and interventions that effectively respond to public needs, including the provisions of basic services. I commend the SNBS for helping to empower some government institutions with vital statics that drive the quest for effective governance through evidence-based decisions. The Honorable Minister further applauded ministries that taken crucial steps towards advancing administrative data, nothing that it is imperative to empower government institutions that produce statistics in terms of technical capacitation, statistical infrastructure to improve their production.

SNBS Director General, Sharmarke Farah gave an update on statistical publications the Bureau had made since the launch of the User Satisfaction Survey. The DG illuminated to the esteemed audience that the event provides an avenue to exchange notes with stakeholders, see where the Bureau has made progress with respect to production, coordination and publication of official statistics and the status of overall institutional perceptions regarding improvement in user satisfaction since the previous survey.

The Statistics Project Implementation Unit CoordinatorMohamed Abdinur presented about the number of publications the Bureau has produced so far, all of which can be downloaded from the website. He was supported by the SNBS IT team who presented to participants on the website layout and how to easily access all publications that have been uploaded therein.

Presentations were also made by the ministries of Health and Education on HMIS and EMIS respectively and Central Bank of Somalia on financial systems that propel economic reforms.

Statistics User Producer Consultation Forum Photos

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Somalia Implements Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) and thus Joins the IMF’s Data Standard Initiatives.

Press Release

June 18, 2022. Somalia formally joins the International Monetary Fund Data Standards Initiatives via the implementation of the Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) requirements. Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS), hosts the National Summary Data Page (NSDP), where key national macroeconomic and financial data are published.

The e-GDDS, which replaced the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS), was established in 2015 with the aim of encouraging statistical development, enhance transparency and reliability as well as creating synergies between data dissemination and formulations of attendant public policies. 

Giving credence to dissemination, the e-GDDS comes with four main elements: focus on surveillance: the 15 encouraged data categories in the e-GDDS, incentives where IMF staff monitor progress and report to the Executive Board on a regular basis; a standardized platform for data dissemination; and finally capacity development to address data gaps. The close link between e-GDDS and Article IV consultations strengthens the constituency for better data and more resources, thus create a virtuous circle for reform.

Reacting to the attainment of this historic milestone, the SNBS Director General Sharmarke Farah observed, “this is a historic day for the transformation of Somalia’s National Statistical System. Somalia’s macroeconomic and financial data is now available on the IMF’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board. All data users will now cite SNBS as their reference for official statistical information on Somalia through the IMF’s DSBB which will enhance timely access to credible and transparent economic and financial data, putting Somalia at per with the rest of the world”.

The Publication of Somalia’s key macroeconomic data via the NSDP will provide national policy makers and domestic and international stakeholders, such as investors and rating agencies, easy access to information that is crucial for monitoring economic conditions and corresponding policy responses. Making this information easily accessible in both human- and machine-readable formats will enable users timely access data and improve transparency.

? The main authorities involved in the provision of data are the Ministry of Finance, National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Somalia. SNBS is the focal point of Somalia’s e-GDDS, and has since submitted all the necessary data, and has also contacted the Central Bank of Somalia to appoint a focal point that will avail requisite data to the SNBS for publication at the NSDP.

Somalia Implements Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) and thus Joins the IMF’s Data Standard Initiatives. Read More »

Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) Launches the First Ever Somalia Integrated Household Budget Survey (SIHBS) Report

Press Release

Mogadishu, February 20, 2023 — The Somali National Bureau of Statistics launches the main report of the first Somalia Integrated Household Budget Survey (SIHBS) (2022) since 1985. The Survey (SIHBS) was implemented with support from the World Bank Group, through a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) toward the Somali Integrated Statistics and Economic Capacity Building (SISEPCB) Project.

The SISEPCB Project aims to strengthen Somalia’s national statistical system, the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, and improve programming and analytical capacity of the government’s macroeconomics and fiscal programming agencies to enable them to regularly assess, analyze and improve public policies and the program’s performance and results.

Completion of the household budget survey was preceded by a series of consultative processes, including field visits to Federal Member States and the review of relevant policy documents. A total of 7,212 households were selected from 601 Enumeration Areas (EAs) across Somalia. About 35 EAs were sampled in each of the 17 covered regions, with 12 households (HHs) interviewed in each EA, totalling about 420 HHs per region.

Gracing the SIHBS launch event, Deputy Prime Minister, H.E Salah Jama remarked “By conducting the Somali Household Budget Survey, Somalia was not merely fulfilling an IMF/WB requirement to reach Completion Point of Debt Relief. It was a considered government effort to obtain reliable data via which all policies and programs are anchored. The work the SNBS is doing is a reflection of the progress in Somalia’s institutional reforms. I would like to commend the National Bureau of Statistics for making the attainment of this momentous milestone a reality. Every individual, household or nation need a plan to actualize their aspirations. And for every plan to succeed, it must be founded on accurate data. I also acknowledge our development partners, including the WB and IMF for supporting Somalia’s development agenda.”

The data generated from the SIHBS collected detailed information on household expenditures and consumption incurred on goods and services to monitor the welfare of private Somali households such as access to basic assets, facilities, and services, measure poverty, improve the GDP estimates, compile national accounts and generate new weightings for Consumer Price Index (CPI). The collected consumer price data will also measure inflation and serve as a baseline for a rapid monitoring system.

Speaking at the launch of the Somali Household Budget Survey, the Federal Minister for Planning, Investment and economic Development, H.E Mohamud Beeenebeene observed, “Somalia accomplished Decision Point for Debt Relief and Arrears Clearance in March 2020, under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, having already fulfilled all criteria for IMF conditionality, including the delivery of interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (iPRSP) through the approval of the National Development Plan (NDP-9) that met the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy. One crucial HIPC Completion Point triggers is the satisfactory implementation of the poverty reduction strategy. The survey findings will help Somalia establish substantive poverty reduction measures, through the review of the NDP-9 and the application of the data generated via the survey”.

“The SIHBS data provides comprehensive statistics that is key for monitoring the government’s national poverty reduction strategies, including a better understanding of efficiency development policies, programs and projects aimed at improving the living standards of households,” said Sharmarke Farah, SNBS Director General.. “The SIHBS (2022) data will further present the government the basis for tracking economic development through assessment of program outcomes”, he concluded.

The SIHBS launch event has high level participation including Deputy Prime minister, Federal Minister of Planning, Investment & Economic Development, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ministers of Planning from Federal Member States, Director General & Deputy Director General, SNBS, World Country Manager, Development Partners, representatives from UN bodies, aid agencies, research firms, the academia, media fraternity and other stakeholders of the national statistical system.

For more info, contact us

Abukar Mohamed, Communication Specialist, SNBS on abukar@nbs.gov.so, You may also reach the SNBS on snbs@nbs.gov.so

Website: https://nbs.gov.so/home, Twitter: @nbs_Somalia, Facebook: @nbssomalia, Instagram: @nbs_somalia, YouTube: @somaliastatistics

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Somali Population and Housing Census Launched

Press Release

Federal Republic of Somalia, Somali National Bureau of Statistics. Somali Population and Housing Census Launched. The first census in decades is scheduled to be conducted in 2024.


Mogadishu, Somalia, Tuesday, May 2, 2023 – The Federal Government of Somalia has announced the launch of the 2024/25 Population and Housing Census. The census is a critical exercise that will allow the Somali government to plan and implement policies and programs that meet the needs of its citizens. The lack of up-to-date information about population and housing has made it difficult for policymakers to make informed decisions about the country’s development needs. The new census is seen as a crucial step in planning poverty reduction strategies and economic development for the country.

The official launch of the Population and Housing Census Somalia was led by His Excellency Salah Ahmed Jama, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The event was also attended a number of Federal Ministers, Federal Member State Ministers of Planning, SNBS Director General and the Deputy DG , other senior government officials, ambassadors, long standing partners and supporters of the Somali Government, the civil society organization and the media.

Speaking at the launch event in Mogadishu the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E Salah Ahmed Jama expressed his delight at the launch of the historic event noting that the Somali Government is committed to taking all steps that are requisite for the organization of a credible census exercise that will inform critical policies guided by accurate and verifiable statistics. The DPM lauded the role of international partners to work closely with the Somali Government in the realization of the first national census exercise in half a century.


Mogadishu Mayor and Governor of Benadir Regional Administration Hon Yussuf Hussein Jimaale, alias Madaale, underpinned the significance of the exercise and expressed full commitment towards its realization.

Also speaking at the event, Federal minister for Planning, Investment and Economic Development stated, “National census is a key tool for ensuring that we have accurate and up-to-date data on our population and housing needs. This will enable us to plan and implement development policies and programs that will improve the lives of all Somali citizens.”

According to the Somali National Bureau of Statistics, the census will be a comprehensive exercise that aims to collect vital information about the country’s population, including demographic data, social and economic characteristics, and housing conditions. The data gathered during the census will help to inform the allocation of government resources and determine funding levels for critical programs such as healthcare, education, and social welfare. The Population and Housing Census will also play a crucial role in the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia to finalize the constitution and democratization process.

The SNBS Director General who emphasized the significance of the census to the Nation and dwelt on the process noted that it will be conducted by trained professionals, collecting data throughout the country and carrying out in-person visits. Every household will be recorded, and information will be collected about the number of people living in the household, their ages, sex, educational attainment, and employment status, as well as information about the housing conditions and infrastructure available in the household. The census will be conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, with support from the United Nations Population Fund and other international partners.

Somali citizens are urged to participate in the census and provide accurate information, as this will be crucial for the government’s planning and development efforts. The government has assured citizens that all information collected will be kept confidential and used only for statistical purposes.

For more information on the census: Please visit the National Bureau of Statistics website at www.nbs.gov.so. Contact the Bureau on snbs@nbs.gov.so or abukar@nbs.gov.so

Support the Census for our prosperity.

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Finalisation of The Calculation of GDP-Estimates for Somalia

Two weeks GDP meeting organized by Statistics Sweden held in Nairobi, Kenya. This meeting was intended to review the current estimates (GDP estimates for 2012-2016), calculate 2017 GDP estimates and Harmonization of the different methods used by international partners (IMF, WB) and Somali government together with Statistics Sweden.

The main aim o

f the meeting was to engage all various stakeholders such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Statistics Sweden and Somalia Government of the GDP estimates to harmonize the existing GDP compilation systems include methods, sources and figures to come up with one harmonized Somali’s GDP estimates that presents the country’s GDP indicators and also to review the current estimates and incorporate with the new results from Somali High Frequency Survey Wave 2.

The overall objective of the Economic statistics component is to improve the quality of economic statistics and specially the Consumer price index (CPI) and develop the Gross domestic product (GDP). The outcome of this mission is to finalize the calculation of GDP-estimates for Somalia.

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Commemoration of African Statistics Day 2018

African statistics day was initiated in 1990 by the joint African conference of planners, statisticians and demographers, which is a subsidiary body of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). On 27th November 2018, Somalia joined her counterparts of other African nations in the marking of the African Statistics Day. The events were organized by the Directorate of National Statistics of the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development. The main role of the adoption of African Statistics day is to increase public awareness about the importance of statistics in both economic and social development for African countries, therefore the Directorate of National Statistics of Somalia aims for the same goal of promoting awareness of official statistics in its availability and accessibility to both the public and private sectors.

The theme for this year “High quality official statistics to ensure transparency, good governance and inclusive development “highlights the importance of official statistics in addressing transparency, good governance and inclusive development in both social and economic sectors thereby enabling the production, dissemination and use of administrative and official statistics. The Deputy Minister, Hon.Fahma Ahmed Noor had moment of speech deliverance and through her address, she emphasized the importance of statistics as well as the role ministry of planning in both economic and social development sectors in the country.

Other guest of honors through their speech focused on the availability and appropriate use of good economic and social statistics can translate into better lives for people through providing evidence as a base for policy and decision-making by the nation or by firms and citizen as well as clarifying that statistics can provide information for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the progress in meeting the goals and targets of Somalia government, as well as a basis for effective economic governance to promote the welfare of the nation. The celebration of African statistics day aims to increase public awareness about importance of official statistics in addressing transparency good governance and inclusive development in all sectors of the country.

Accurate statistics are critical for proper economic and social planning in any given country. The essence of getting accurate statistics is the basis for any economic as well as social planning and therefore keeping accounts and official statistics to improve Somalia leads for a brighter future.

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Somali Statistics Law

This Law repeals the Somalia Statistical Law no: 35 published on 18th June 1970 to harmonize it with the Somali Federal System and promote the overall efficiency of various Sectors of Statistics in the Federal Republic of Somalia (FRS).

This Law establishes the Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) which is mandated to conduct collection, compilation, coordination, analysis, evaluation and dissemination of National Statistical Information.

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