Somalia, Fed. Rep.: Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 2.58% from US$22,516 in 2012 (0.51% a year on average, compounded). Since 1960 it is up 323,272% from US$7.14 in 1960 (15.23% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 19 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) rose US$36.2 on 2016 (from US$23,062 to US$23,098).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1967 to 2016), the average change was −US$267.12 and a typical year strayed about US$1,569 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 US$2,023 in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was US$7,451 in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2009 to 2017 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$1,270 a year. A straight line explains 53% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

Closest to Somalia, Fed. Rep. in the 2017 ranking

• Venezuela, RB — 2nd of 2: US$9.98

What this measures

Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.

Limitations: Official or market exchange rates are often used to convert economic statistics in local currencies to a common currency in order to make comparisons across countries. Since market rates reflect at best the relative prices of tradable goods, the volume of goods and services that a U.S. dollar buys in the United States may not correspond to what a U.S. dollar converted to another country's currency at the official exchange rate would buy in that country, particularly when nontradable goods and services account for a significant share of a country's output.

All 39 values

Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$911.99 (2025)
• Benin — US$581.93 (2025)
• Botswana — US$13.5 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$581.93 (2025)
• Burundi — US$2,943 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$97.86 (2025)
• Cameroon — US$581.93 (2025)
• Central African Republic — US$581.93 (2025)
• Chad — US$581.93 (2025)
• Comoros

More financial sector data for Somalia, Fed. Rep.

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 127.92 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$30,104 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 12.88% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 5.43% (2024)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 16.43 trillion (2024)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 33.98 trillion (2024)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 5.43% (2024)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — -0.85% (2024)
• Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)?

US$23,098 in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 323,272% from US$7.14 in 1960 (15.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$31,559 in 2009 and the lowest US$6.28 in 1973.

Is the latest change in official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) unusual for Somalia, Fed. Rep.?

In 2017, Somalia, Fed. Rep.'s official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) rose US$36.2 on 2016 (from US$23,062 to US$23,098). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1967 to 2016), the average change was −US$267.12 and a typical year strayed about US$1,569 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator PA.NUS.FCRF, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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