Is prostitution legal in Somalia?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal, though sex trafficking and child prostitution are problems.
Somalia is one of 105 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 48% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Africa
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Djibouti
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal but tolerated, with a red-light district and foreign military presence increasing demand.
- Ethiopia
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal but procuring and brothel operations are illegal, with significant sex tourism and child exploitation issues.
- Yemen
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Yemen with three-year imprisonment, though it occurs in hotels and among women from Yaffai.
- Kenya
- Varies by region Prostitution is not criminalized nationally but municipal laws may ban it, with Nairobi banning all sex work in 2017.
- Eritrea
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, with restrictions near schools and hospitals, and arrests for foreign encounters.
- Seychelles
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal but remains prevalent, with police not arresting unless other crimes involved.
Other laws in Somalia
- Same-Sex Activity
- Death penalty possible
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.