Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Djibouti fits inside Somalia 27 times.
Djibouti: 23,200 km² (2023) · Somalia: 637,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Somalia’s coastline is 9.6 times as long as Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: 314 km (2026 edition) · Somalia: 3,025 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Somalia’s highest peak towers 439 m above Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: 2,021 m (2026 edition) · Somalia: 2,460 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Somalia has 17 times as many people as Djibouti.
Djibouti: 1.18 million (2025) · Somalia: 19.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Djibouti is 63% more densely populated than Somalia.
Djibouti: 51 per km² (2025) · Somalia: 31 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Somalia and Djibouti are practically level.
Djibouti: 170.8 cm (2019) · Somalia: 171.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Somalia and Djibouti are practically level.
Djibouti: 159.8 cm (2019) · Somalia: 159.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Djibouti is 8.9 years older than in Somalia.
Djibouti: 24.4 years (2023) · Somalia: 15.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Somalia have 3.4 more children on average than in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 2.62 children per woman (2024) · Somalia: 6.01 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
5.0% of people in Djibouti are 65 or older, versus 2.6% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 5% (2025) · Somalia: 2.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Djibouti and Somalia are practically level.
Djibouti: 0 (2025) · Somalia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Djibouti and Somalia are practically level.
Djibouti: 2 (2026) · Somalia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Somalia’s economy is 2.8 times the size of Djibouti’s.
Djibouti: $4.62 billion (2025) · Somalia: $13 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Djibouti produces 5.1 times as much per person as Somalia.
Djibouti: Int$8,452 (2025) · Somalia: Int$1,643 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Djibouti: 41.6 (2017) · Somalia: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 26% in Djibouti, versus 19% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 26% (2025) · Somalia: 18.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Djibouti: no data · Somalia: 1.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Djibouti’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Somalia’s.
Djibouti: 46% (2025) · Somalia: 40% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Djibouti spends 3.5 times as much on health per person as Somalia.
Djibouti: $78 (2023) · Somalia: $22 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Djibouti live 7.2 years longer than in Somalia.
Djibouti: 66.2 years (2024) · Somalia: 59 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Somalia is 52% more likely to die before turning one than in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 43 per 1,000 (2024) · Somalia: 65.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Djibouti has 4.4 times as many doctors per person as Somalia.
Djibouti: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Somalia: 0.048 per 1,000 (2014)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in Somalia are obese, versus 11% in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 11.2% (2024) · Somalia: 13% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Somalia rate their lives 0.14 points higher than in Djibouti.
Djibouti: 4.37 (2014) · Somalia: 4.51 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Djibouti: 0.3 litres (2023) · Somalia: no data
How much meat is on the menu?
Djibouti has 27% more meat per person than Somalia.
Djibouti: 14.1 kg (2023) · Somalia: 11.1 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Djibouti has 909 kcal more food per person per day than Somalia.
Djibouti: 2,721 kcal (2023) · Somalia: 1,812 kcal (2022)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Djibouti went to school 2.1 years longer than in Somalia.
Djibouti: 4 years (2023) · Somalia: 1.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Djibouti: 0.13 (2022) · Somalia: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
65% of people in Djibouti are online, versus 28% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 65% (2024) · Somalia: 28% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
69% of people in Djibouti have electricity, versus 54% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 69.2% (2024) · Somalia: 54.4% (2024)
How many live in cities?
73% of people in Djibouti live in cities, versus 55% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 73% (2025) · Somalia: 55% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Somalia has 54 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Djibouti 48.
Djibouti: 48 (2023) · Somalia: 54 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Djibouti: 97 km (2017) · Somalia: no data
How much do they fly?
Djibouti: no data · Somalia: 0 (2019)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 9.2% of Somalia, but only 0.3% of Djibouti.
Djibouti: 0.3% (2023) · Somalia: 9.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Djibouti emits 7 times as much CO₂ as someone in Somalia.
Djibouti: 0.5 t (2024) · Somalia: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
35% of Djibouti’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Somalia.
Djibouti: 35% (2024) · Somalia: 20.9% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Djibouti carries 2.7 times as much fine dust as in Somalia.
Djibouti: 31.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Somalia: 11.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Djibouti are 15% deadlier than in Somalia.
Djibouti: 23.3 per 100k (2021) · Somalia: 20.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Djibouti is on average 2.0 °C warmer than Somalia.
Djibouti: 28.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Somalia: 27°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Somalia gets 34% more rain than Djibouti.
Djibouti: 192 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Somalia: 258 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Djibouti bigger than Somalia?
Somalia is larger. Djibouti fits inside Somalia 27 times.
Which has more people, Djibouti or Somalia?
Somalia has 17 times as many people as Djibouti (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Djibouti or Somalia?
People in Djibouti live 7.2 years longer than in Somalia. Life expectancy at birth is 66.2 years in Djibouti and 59.0 in Somalia.
Are people taller in Djibouti or Somalia?
Somalia and Djibouti are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
