Somalia, Fed. Rep.: Battle-related deaths (number of people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s battle-related deaths (number of people) fell 1,563 on 2023 (from 3,847 to 2,284).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +130.12 and a typical year strayed about 1,926 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5,355 in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 6,851 in 1992. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 173.48 a year. A straight line explains 53% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Somalia, Fed. Rep. had the 9th highest value of the 35 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Somalia, Fed. Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Ethiopia — 6th of 35: 2,824
• Syrian Arab Republic — 7th of 35: 2,732
• Myanmar — 8th of 35: 2,332
• Pakistan — 10th of 35: 1,534
• Nigeria — 11th of 35: 1,486
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 12th of 35: 1,138

What this measures

Battle-related deaths are deaths in battle-related conflicts between warring parties in the conflict dyad (two conflict units that are parties to a conflict). Battle-related deaths refer to those deaths caused by the warring parties that can be directly related to combat. This includes battlefield fighting, guerrilla activities (e.g. hit and-run attacks/ambushes) and all kinds of bombardments of military bases, cities and villages etc. The target for the attacks is either the military forces or representatives for the parties, though there is often substantial collateral damage in the form of civilians being killed in the crossfire, indiscriminate bombings, etc. All fatalities, military as well as civilian, incurred in such situations are counted as battle-related deaths.

Limitations: While the best estimate for battle-related deaths is considered a conservative minimum, the high estimate may still undercount actual fatalities due to unreported events, and users are cautioned that the apparent precision of the numbers does not eliminate underlying uncertainty.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 31 values

Battle-related deaths (number of people) in nearby economies

• Angola — 25 (2024)
• Burundi — 19 (2024)
• Cameroon — 231 (2024)
• Central African Republic — 177 (2024)
• Chad — 69 (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1,138 (2024)
• Ethiopia — 2,824 (2024)
• Kenya — 66 (2024)
• Mali — 1,008 (2024)
• Mozambique — 151 (2024)
• Niger

More public sector data for Somalia, Fed. Rep.

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 199.47 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 199.47 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.54% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 2 million (2025)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 60 (2024)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 14,000 (2020)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 63.09 (2024)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.47% (2020)
• Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with conflict and violence (number of cases)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s battle-related deaths (number of people)?

2,284 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1989?

It is up 512.33% from 373 in 1989 (5.31% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 8,005 in 1991 and the lowest 0 in 2004.

How does Somalia, Fed. Rep. rank?

9th highest of 35 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in battle-related deaths (number of people) unusual for Somalia, Fed. Rep.?

In 2024, Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s battle-related deaths (number of people) fell 1,563 on 2023 (from 3,847 to 2,284). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +130.12 and a typical year strayed about 1,926 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator VC.BTL.DETH, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: UCDP Battle-related Deaths Dataset , Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), uri: https://ucdp.uu.se/downloads/, publisher: Uppsala University Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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