Somali people
The Somali people (Somali: Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖) are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mother tongue of ethnic Somalis, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, and are predominantly Sunni Muslim. They form one of the largest ethnic groups on the African continent, and cover one of the most expansive landmasses by a single ethnic group in Africa.
Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Traditional area inhabited by the Somali ethnic group | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total population | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 25.8 million | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions with significant populations | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Horn of Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Somalia | 17,597,511 (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethiopia | 4,581,793 (2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kenya | 2,780,502 (2019) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Djibouti | 534,000 (2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yemen | 500,000 (2014) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | 164,723 (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 109,000 (2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United Arab Emirates | 101,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Oman | 80,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 66,369 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada | 62,550 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tanzania | 60,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 43,196 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Uganda | 41,515 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa | 27,000–40,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 39,737 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 38,675 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia | 34,000–67,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland | 24,647 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Egypt | 22,709 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark | 21,210 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | 18,401 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 8,228 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Austria | 7,101 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 7,025 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkey | 5,518 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Languages | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Somali | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Islam (Sunni) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Related ethnic groups | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Afar, Saho, Oromo, Rendille, Aweer, and other Cushitic peoples | |||||||||||||||||||||
According to most scholars, the ancient Land of Punt and its native inhabitants formed part of the ethnogenesis of the Somali people. This ancient historical kingdom is where a great portion of their cultural traditions and ancestry are said to derive from. Somalis share many historical and cultural traits with other Cushitic peoples, especially with Lowland East Cushitic people, specifically the Afar and the Saho.
Ethnic Somalis are principally concentrated in Somalia (around 17.6 million), Somaliland (5.7 million), Ethiopia (4.6 million), Kenya (2.8 million), and Djibouti (534,000). Somali diasporas are also found in parts of the Middle East, North America, Western Europe, African Great Lakes region, Southern Africa and Oceania.