how many somalis in minnesota have been naturalized

June 27, 2026

Minnesota’s Somali community is largely naturalized or U.S.-born, but there isn’t a single official count for “how many Somalis in Minnesota have been naturalized” because the available figures usually mix citizens born in the U.S. with naturalized citizens. Recent reporting says the state had about 76,000 people of Somali descent, with about 52% born in the U.S. and another 42% naturalized citizens.

What that means

Using those figures, the naturalized Somali population in Minnesota would be roughly 32,000 people, based on 42% of 76,000.

Another report says the community is about 107,000 people and that 87% of foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota are naturalized, but it does not give a clean statewide naturalized total by itself.

So the safest answer is: roughly 30,000 to 35,000 naturalized Somali Minnesotans , depending on which population estimate is used.

Why the numbers differ

Different outlets use different baselines, such as:

all people of Somali descent in Minnesota,
only foreign-born Somalis,
or broader community estimates that include U.S.-born residents.

That is why one source can imply a naturalized count in the low 30,000s while another emphasizes a very high naturalization rate among the foreign-born portion.

Best single-number estimate

If you want one practical estimate, about 32,000 naturalized Somali residents in Minnesota is the closest figure supported by the recent reporting.

Bottom line

Most Somalis in Minnesota are already U.S. citizens, either by birth or naturalization, and the naturalized share appears to be very large among those who were born abroad.