Political Cards

Number of Presidential Candidates in Somalia

Number of candidates who contested Somalia’s presidential elections between 2012 and 2022.

Key finding: More candidates competed in Somalia’s 2022 presidential election than in 2012 and 2017.

Source: Election documentation and media reports (2012, 2017, 2022).

SRA Publication Date: 11/10/2026

Somalia’s Presidential Candidate Registration Fees

Registration fees required from presidential candidates during Somalia’s presidential elections from 2012 to 2022, with the fee for 2027 yet to be determined.

Key finding: Presidential candidate registration fees increased from $10,000 in 2012 to $40,000 in 2022, representing a fourfold increase. The fee for the 2027 election remains undetermined.

Source: Election documentation and media reports (2012, 2017, 2022) SRA publication date: 18/09/2026

Women’s Representation in Somalia’s Federal Parliament

Percentage of parliamentary seats held by women in Somalia’s 9th, 10th and 11th Federal Parliaments, compared with the 30% women’s representation quota.

Key finding: Women’s representation in Somalia’s previous three Federal Parliaments remained below the 30% quota, reaching its highest level of 24.4% in 2017.

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) SRA publication date: 18/09/2026

Number of Presidential Candidates in Somalia

Number of candidates who competed in Somalia’s presidential elections in 2012, 2017 and 2022.

Key finding: The number of presidential candidates increased from 25 in 2012 to 39 in 2022. More candidates competed in 2022 than in either of the previous two elections.

Source: Election documentation and media reports (2012, 2017, 2022) SRA publication date: 11/10/2026

Cabinet Size: Somalia vs. Its Neighbors

Number of cabinet ministers in Somalia compared with Kenya and Ethiopia.

Key finding: Somalia has 3 more cabinet ministers than both Kenya and Ethiopia.

Source: Respective Governments
SRA publication date: 27/07/2026

Press Conferences & Statements Among Somalia’s Opposition

Confirmed public communications made between 27 February and 27 August 2026, including press conferences and press releases/formal statements.

Key finding: Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed recorded the highest number of documented public communications during the six-month period, with 10, followed by Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo with 9.

Source: Somali Researchers Association (SRA), based on publicly documented press conferences and formal statements
SRA publication date: 28/08/2026 Somali Researchers Association (SRA)

Presidential Election Results in Somalia (2000–2022)

Votes received by the successful candidate in the final presidential election round.

Key finding: The number of votes required to elect Somalia’s president has varied considerably across the six presidential elections from 2000 to 2022.

Source: Somali Researchers Association (SRA)
Period: 2000–2022

Parliament Size Across Somali Administrations

Number of parliamentary seats across different Somali administrations.

Key finding: Somalia’s Federal House of the People has 275 seats, substantially more than the individual regional legislatures.

Source: Somali Researchers Association (SRA) / Respective administrations

Social Media Activity Report: Wasiir Fiqi vs. OPM and Villa Somalia

Number of Facebook posts published during the 10-day period from 1–10 May 2026.

Key finding: Wasiir Fiqi published 25 Facebook posts during the 10-day period, compared with 16 posts combined by the Office of the Prime Minister and Villa Somalia. This means Fiqi posted 56.3% more than the two official accounts combined.

Source: Somali Researchers Association (SRA)
Period: 01/05/2026–10/05/2026

Refugees in Somalia

Number of refugees in Somalia by selected country of origin, as of 2025.

Key finding: Somalia hosted 18,924 refugees from the five countries shown. Yemenis accounted for the largest group, with 11,631 people, followed by Ethiopians with 5,435.

Source: Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS)
Reference period: 2025