Somalia Poverty and Equity Assessment

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - Somalia has made macroeconomic progress, achieving a historic HIPC completion point with external debt falling to 6% of GDP in 2023, and joined the East African Community in March 2024, but growth has not been sufficient to increase GDP per capita [41] - Over half of the population lives below the national poverty line (54%), with the highest poverty rate among the nomadic population (78%) and the lowest in urban areas (46%) [42] - Non-monetary poverty is even higher than monetary poverty, with over three-quarters of the population considered non-monetary poor, particularly among the nomadic population (95%) [44] - Education inequality is significant, with regional differences driving inequalities in access to education and services [45] - The report focuses on three deep-dive topics: Somali livelihoods, shocks (particularly climate shocks), and the welfare conditions of the nomadic population [46] Summary by Sections Part A: Poverty and Economic Context - Poverty remains high in Somalia, particularly in rural and nomadic areas, with unchanged national poverty rates from 2017 to 2022 despite urbanization [42][43] - Demographic factors such as household size, IDP status, and education level are associated with poverty levels [43] - The economy is exposed to climatic shocks, affecting consumption and poverty rates [41] Part B: Livelihoods - The Somali labor market features very low labor force participation (LFP) and a high dependency on wage employment, with limited agricultural opportunities [47][48] - Household enterprises account for a significant share of employment but rarely generate sufficient profit to lift households out of poverty [51] - The dual labor market shows that better jobs are concentrated among educated individuals and those from wealthier households [50] Part C: Policy Recommendations - Continued economic progress and stability are essential for poverty reduction, with a focus on harnessing urbanization for improved service delivery and strengthening rural/nomadic livelihoods [57][58] - Policies should aim to increase labor demand for low-skilled workers and improve access to education and services for marginalized groups [59][60]