juzume we cannot coome up with figures from our heads, we need to base our educated guess on what little data is available to us..
That is why I said the following:
Considering that Isaaq is the majority in Somaliland, the, in this case objective and unbiased, CIA estimates that Isaaq represents 22% of the total 10mil. That is without the other populations of Somaliland i.e. Gudabiirsi, Dhulbhante, Wasangeli, refugees from the south, Gabooye & Fiqishini as well as others. If we add up the Dir (gudabiirsi & Ciise) and Isaaq, as categorised by CIA map,
they alone represent 29% of the total population without adding the Dhulbahante, Warsangeli, Refugees, Gabooye, Fiqishini, others as well as all the population of Puntland.
This should give an indication that perhaps some people are underestimating the population of the "north".