China and Somalia
China and Somalia have maintained relations since 1960 and a strategic partnership since 2024. The reopening of China's embassy in Mogadishu in 2014 and contacts in African and Arab forums are important institutional milestones in a relationship focused on diplomacy and economic cooperation.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between China and Somalia totalled 1,027.1 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from China to Somalia, at 101.7 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 1,027.12 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: China to Somalia | 1,024.13 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Somalia to China | 2.99 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Somalia | 0.0271 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: Somalia to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Somalia | ||
| Investment stock: Somalia in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter CHN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: China to Somalia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter CHN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: Somalia to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter CHN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: China to Somalia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 13 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 661.17 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 2.99 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 18.95 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -0.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 19,654,7392025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 637,660 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankSomalia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankSomalia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankSomalia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Somalia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Somalia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankSomalia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOSomalia: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to Somalia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 101.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 65.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 44.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 15.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 2.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.476 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.0915 M USD2025 · Source |
Somalia to China
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | China to Somalia | Somalia to China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 996.3 | 985.5 | 10.8 |
| 2022 | 1,054 | 1,046.6 | 7.4 |
| 2023 | 1,019.8 | 1,013 | 6.7 |
| 2024 | 971.6 | 968.4 | 3.1 |
| 2025 | 1,027.1 | 1,024.1 | 3 |
Connections between people
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in Somalia | ||
| Residents from Somalia living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Somalia | ||
| Study and training: Somalia in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Somalia | ||
| Academic stays: Somalia in China | ||
| Travel: China to Somalia | ||
| Travel: Somalia to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Bilateral context
Diplomatic relations began on 14 December 1960. Zhou Enlai and Chen Yi visited Somalia in February 1964, among the earlier high-level exchanges described by China's ministry. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for China is 19,498 billion USD (2025), compared with 13 for Somalia (2025). The reference populations are 1,406.59 and 19.65 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of China was 1,500.4 times that of Somalia in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
China formally reopened its Somali embassy on 12 October 2014, with a ceremony attended by Deputy Minister Zhang Ming. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud participated in the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation summit in September 2024 and met Xi Jinping on the 6th; that month the relationship became a strategic partnership. The bilateral Belt and Road memorandum was signed in September 2018. Somalia also participates in China–Arab States forums: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended the China–Arab States Expo in August 2025. These multilateral contacts complement, rather than replace, bilateral relations. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (China and Somalia) totalled 1,027.1 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 1,024.1 million; those in the opposite direction, 3 million. The difference between the two flows was 1,021.1 million, in favour of China. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from China to the partner represented 0.0271% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 996.3 million USD in 2021 and 1,027.1 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +3.1 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2022, at 1,054 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from China to Somalia, at 101.7 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, metal ores stands out in shipments from Somalia to China, at 0.145 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — CHN-SOM
www.mfa.gov.cn · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.