How many Somali immigrants and refugees live in the United States as of 2025?
Executive summary
Estimates of how many Somali-born people and people of Somali ancestry live in the United States vary widely in available reporting: census-derived figures and public estimates put Somali ancestry or population totals from roughly 85,700 (2010 ACS) to six-figure totals like 116,520 in some compilations, while program-specific counts show only hundreds covered by Temporary Protected Status in 2025 (about 705) [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single definitive nationwide 2025 total that reconciles ancestry, foreign-born Somalis, recent refugees, and TPS beneficiaries (not found in current reporting).
1. Numbers differ because “Somali” can mean different things
Public reports use at least three distinct measures: people with Somali ancestry (a broad, census-style category), Somali-born immigrants (foreign born), and program-specific tallies such as refugees admitted or people on Temporary Protected Status; the Wikipedia page notes estimates ranging from about 35,760 to 150,000 and cites the 2010 American Community Survey’s roughly 85,700 people with Somali ancestry, illustrating that different metrics produce different counts [1].
2. Census-era estimates and state snapshots point to a sizeable diaspora
Longer-running demographic sources and state-focused journalism place sizable Somali communities in particular states—Minnesota has been repeatedly identified as home to the largest U.S. Somali population, with reporting noting roughly 87,000 Somalis in Minnesota in recent coverage and other compilations listing national totals such as 116,520 (World Population Review) though that site’s figure is dated to 2021 and is not a federal census release [4] [2].
3. Refugees and TPS beneficiaries are a small slice of the total
By contrast, program-level counts are tiny relative to ancestry or population estimates: a Congressional Research Service figure cited across recent news reporting places Somalis covered by Temporary Protected Status at about 705 nationwide in 2025, and multiple outlets repeat that number when describing policy moves to terminate or review TPS for Somalis [3] [5] [6] [7].
4. Recent policy changes highlight limits of program counts
News stories about the Trump administration’s 2025 actions to end protections for “Somalis in Minnesota” make clear that TPS caseloads do not equal the size of the Somali diaspora; the president’s announcements targeted a legal status, not the entire population, and journalists repeatedly contrasted a small TPS figure (≈705) against much larger community counts [8] [6] [5].
5. Migration flows, refugee admissions and halted resettlement matter but are unevenly reported
Coverage of refugee pipelines and resettlement trends describes thousands of Somalis in camps hoping to resettle and notes that U.S. refugee admissions were sharply curtailed under 2025 policy changes; however, those reporting threads speak to prospective or historical flows rather than providing a consolidated 2025 US-resident total for Somalis [9] [10]. Available sources do not provide an updated consolidated nationwide total for 2025 combining ancestry, recent arrivals, and program statuses (not found in current reporting).
6. Why tallies vary: methodology, self‑identification, and timing
Differences arise from who self-identifies as Somali, whether counts include U.S.-born children of Somali parents, whether sources report ancestry versus place of birth, and whether they are snapshots from 2010, 2021, or media estimates in 2024–25. Wikipedia’s compiled range (roughly 35,760–150,000) reflects that heterogeneity in source methods [1].
7. What you can reliably cite now
If you need a defensible 2025 citation on specific categories: use the small, program-specific number—about 705 Somalis approved for TPS in 2025—which multiple news outlets and the Congressional Research Service cited in November 2025; for broader population context cite state or census-derived reports (e.g., Minnesota’s Somali community reported at roughly 87,000 in some recent coverage and older ACS ancestry counts around 85,700) while noting those figures come from different instruments and years [3] [5] [1] [4].
8. Takeaway and reporting advice
Do not treat a TPS caseload or refugee-admissions snapshot as equivalent to the full Somali-American population. When reporting or making policy claims, specify the metric (ancestry, foreign-born, TPS beneficiaries, refugees resettled) and the year; current coverage shows TPS beneficiaries number in the hundreds while community and ancestry estimates range into tens or low hundreds of thousands depending on source and method [3] [1] [2].