deathtoll.info

Since 2008

Somalia Death Toll

Deaths from organised violence since 2008, recorded event by event by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP): civilians, the parties to the war and other armed groups. Every figure has a source, a type of source and a reference date.

Somalia

Updated monthly

45,119

deaths from organised violence, best estimate (range 41,359 to 57,733)

Type of source: Monitor UCDP, up to 31 Aug 2026

Other counts

Counts by the UN, governments and independent monitors, each with its own period and definition. They are shown next to the UCDP figure and never added to it.

  • Civilians killed, recorded by the UN mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) 144

    Type of source: Verified by UN Report of the UN Secretary-General on Somalia, 24 Mar 2025 to 25 Sept 2025

    Of the 395 civilian casualties (killed and injured), Al-Shabaab was responsible for 159, Somali security forces for 97, clan militias for 75 and unidentified perpetrators for 64. The UN mission is due to close by 31 Oct 2026.

  • Civilians killed, recorded by the UN mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) 179

    Type of source: Verified by UN Report of the UN Secretary-General on Somalia, 23 Sept 2024 to 23 Mar 2025

    Of the 402 civilian casualties (killed and injured), Al-Shabaab was responsible for 199.

  • Children killed, verified by the UN 161

    Type of source: Verified by UN UN Secretary-General, report on children and armed conflict, 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025

    Another 312 children were maimed. Of the 473 children killed or maimed, the UN attributed 270 to unidentified perpetrators and 129 to Al-Shabaab.

  • Civilians killed in US air strikes and raids since Jan 2007, at least, according to Airwars 85

    Type of source: Monitor Airwars, as of 13 Oct 2026

    Airwars gives a range of 85 to 162, counting only deaths it grades as fairly reported or that US forces confirmed. US actions only.

Latest update

147

deaths in August 2026, the latest month in the data

Breakdown

Civilians
5,593
12%
Government forces of Somalia
4,547
10%
Al-Shabaab
21,105
47%
Other armed groups
1,676
4%
Not assigned
12,198
27%

UCDP assigns each death to the civilians or to a party where the sources allow it, and otherwise to not assigned. Deaths of a party are deaths among its own forces.

Increase

Past 12 months
+3,762
September 2025 to August 2026
In 2026 so far
+2,890
January to August 2026

Scope

All of Somalia. Counted: fighting between a government and armed groups, fighting between armed groups, and deliberate killings of civilians by an organised group, in events with at least one death.

Sources

Deaths per month

Best estimate per month, all groups together. The months of 2026 come from the monthly candidate data and can still change.

The chart needs JavaScript. The same figures are in the table below.

Show as monthly table
Deaths per month
MonthDeathsTotal since the start
August 202614745,119
July 202632244,972
June 202636644,650
May 202636544,284
April 202629943,919
March 202618843,620
February 202623143,432
January 202697243,201
December 202524942,229
November 202527941,980
October 202514941,701
September 202519541,552
August 202537941,357
July 202517740,978
June 202547940,801
May 202549840,322
April 202521439,824
March 202554839,610
February 202557739,062
January 202512838,485
December 202411238,357
November 202410638,245
October 202428038,139
September 20248937,859
August 202415637,770
July 202426937,614
June 202427937,345
May 20244237,066
April 202422837,024
March 202428336,796
February 202415936,513
January 202443436,354
December 202320135,920
November 2023835,719
October 202320135,711
September 202345035,510
August 202339135,060
July 202349534,669
June 202322634,174
May 202331833,948
April 20237533,630
March 202315133,555
February 20231,08433,404
January 202361632,320
December 202230231,704
November 202248831,402
October 202260630,914
September 202246930,308
August 202222429,839
July 202222329,615
June 202213929,392
May 202211129,253
April 20226729,142
March 202213129,075
February 202217628,944
January 202217928,768
December 202111228,589
November 20217628,477
October 20216828,401
September 20213528,333
August 202129128,298
July 202122228,007
June 202144227,785
May 202128527,343
April 202127627,058
March 202118426,782
February 202112226,598
January 202115626,476
December 202011826,320
November 202015326,202
October 202022426,049
September 202018825,825
August 202018425,637
July 20208825,453
June 202016825,365
May 202018725,197
April 202013425,010
March 202027824,876
February 202015124,598
January 202024724,447
December 201927024,200
November 20194123,930
October 201913423,889
September 201921123,755
August 201913323,544
July 201921223,411
June 201913423,199
May 201921323,065
April 20192122,852
March 201914422,831
February 201931922,687
January 201938722,368
December 201826421,981
November 201830021,717
October 201821821,417
September 201824421,199
August 20189920,955
July 201817520,856
June 201828520,681
May 201819220,396
April 201824020,204
March 201824419,964
February 201815119,720
January 20189519,569
December 201710519,474
November 201716319,369
October 201768319,206
September 201717218,523
August 20176718,351
July 201717818,284
June 201717318,106
May 20177117,933
April 20179417,862
March 20179817,768
February 20177817,670
January 201718917,592
December 201612817,403
November 20168517,275
October 20169017,190
September 20167017,100
August 201614717,030
July 20169816,883
June 201628316,785
May 201612316,502
April 201615116,379
March 201644716,228
February 201613515,781
January 201631615,646
December 201511115,330
November 20159815,219
October 20153515,121
September 201511015,086
August 201518414,976
July 201520914,792
June 201514014,583
May 20157314,443
April 20155214,370
March 20154714,318
February 201510314,271
January 20159214,168
December 20147814,076
November 20149413,998
October 201420413,904
September 20149013,700
August 20147213,610
July 201412413,538
June 20146113,414
May 201411813,353
April 201412913,235
March 201411613,106
February 20147612,990
January 20148512,914
December 20137612,829
November 20138112,753
October 20139612,672
September 20136512,576
August 201311012,511
July 20138712,401
June 20136312,314
May 20139812,251
April 20137812,153
March 20136812,075
February 201311512,007
January 201310811,892
December 201217111,784
November 201216511,613
October 201212611,448
September 201236411,322
August 201234510,958
July 201216510,613
June 201216610,448
May 201216010,282
April 201219410,122
March 20123079,928
February 20123179,621
January 20125099,304
December 20112678,795
November 20112088,528
October 20112748,320
September 20111058,046
August 2011567,941
July 20111357,885
June 20111297,750
May 20111657,621
April 20111547,456
March 20112587,302
February 20112837,044
January 2011846,761
December 20102016,677
November 20102026,476
October 20102516,274
September 20101286,023
August 20104015,895
July 20103625,494
June 20101605,132
May 2010974,972
April 20103304,875
March 20102224,545
February 20101364,323
January 20102324,187
December 20092123,955
November 20091153,743
October 20091673,628
September 20091413,461
August 20092153,320
July 20092363,105
June 20092872,869
May 20093602,582
April 2009312,222
March 2009952,191
February 20091002,096
January 20092451,996
December 20081761,751
November 2008961,575
October 20081511,479
September 20081351,328
August 20082261,193
July 2008167967
June 200886800
May 2008200714
April 2008208514
March 2008130306
February 200897176
January 20087979

What is not counted

Notes on method

Period

The page starts in 2008, the year in which UCDP records the first fighting between the government and al-Shabaab.

Source

The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University records organised violence event by event, from news media, reports of humanitarian and human rights organisations and other sources. For every event it gives a best estimate of the number of deaths, with a low and a high estimate. This page adds up the best estimates.

The final data run to the end of 2025 (GED 26.1). The months of 2026 come from the monthly candidate data (26.01.26.06, 26.0.7, 26.0.8), which UCDP revises when it publishes the final version.

Groups

For each event UCDP records the deaths among each of the two parties, the civilians killed and the deaths it cannot assign. On this page the parties named in the breakdown are shown separately; all other organised armed groups are combined.

Comparability

UCDP counts in the same way in every war, so its figures can be compared between wars better than counts by the parties. They are usually lower than estimates that include indirect deaths, and they can differ from figures published by governments or armed groups.

Citation

Davies, Pettersson and Öberg (2026), Journal of Peace Research; Sundberg and Melander (2013), Journal of Peace Research 50(4); Hegre, Croicu, Eck and Högbladh (2020), Research and Politics. UCDP is funded through DEMSCORE (Swedish Research Council, grant 2021-00162). The data are licensed under CC BY 4.0.