Afghanistan Population (LIVE)

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Afghanistan Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Afghanistan is 43,039,447 as of Monday, March 18, 2024, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data 1.
  • Afghanistan 2023 population is estimated at 42,239,854 people at mid year.
  • Afghanistan population is equivalent to 0.53% of the total world population.
  • Afghanistan ranks number 36 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Afghanistan is 65 per Km2 (168 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 652,860 Km2 (252,071 sq. miles)
  • 25.9 % of the population is urban (10,948,055 people in 2023)
  • The median age in Afghanistan is 17.0 years.
1. Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Afghanistan (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationAfghanistan
Global Rank
2024 43,372,950 2.68 % 1,133,096 -65,846 17.2 4.29 66 26.1 % 11,320,521 0.53 % 8,118,835,999 36
2023 42,239,854 2.70 % 1,111,083 -65,846 17.0 4.41 65 25.9 % 10,948,055 0.53 % 8,045,311,447 36
2022 41,128,771 2.57 % 1,029,309 -65,846 16.9 4.52 63 25.7 % 10,587,583 0.52 % 7,975,105,156 36
2020 38,972,230 3.18 % 1,202,731 166,821 16.6 4.75 60 25.4 % 9,904,337 0.50 % 7,840,952,880 37
2015 33,753,499 3.67 % 1,112,765 -281,739 15.7 5.41 52 24.8 % 8,367,571 0.45 % 7,426,597,537 40
2010 28,189,672 2.92 % 755,696 -141,355 14.4 6.10 43 24.3 % 6,836,980 0.40 % 6,985,603,105 45
2005 24,411,191 4.55 % 973,642 252,185 14.2 6.91 37 23.3 % 5,691,836 0.37 % 6,558,176,119 45
2000 19,542,982 3.55 % 624,814-1,007,135 14.1 7.53 30 22.7 % 4,436,282 0.32 % 6,148,898,975 50
1995 16,418,912 8.95 % 1,144,823 71,824 14.7 7.71 25 22.5 % 3,697,570 0.29 % 5,743,219,454 53
1990 10,694,796 0.34 % 36,515 -666,001 15.1 7.57 16 24.3 % 2,593,947 0.20 % 5,316,175,862 62
1985 10,512,221 -3.38 % -394,882 -210,572 15.4 7.52 16 21.3 % 2,238,468 0.22 % 4,861,730,613 59
1980 12,486,631 0.54 % 65,849 -1,205,401 15.9 7.59 19 17.0 % 2,119,078 0.28 % 4,444,007,706 52
1975 12,157,386 2.49 % 280,883 -44,418 16.4 7.54 19 14.1 % 1,717,422 0.30 % 4,069,437,231 49
1970 10,752,971 2.37 % 237,565 4,458 17.1 7.40 16 12.0 % 1,295,433 0.29 % 3,695,390,336 49
1965 9,565,147 2.10 % 188,536 10,695 17.7 7.31 15 10.3 % 984,350 0.29 % 3,337,111,983 50
1960 8,622,466 1.58 % 130,107 2,606 18.0 7.28 13 8.8 % 755,797 0.29 % 3,019,233,434 49
1955 7,971,931 1.28 % 98,294 -7,263 18.3 7.26 12 7.4 % 587,818 0.29 % 2,746,072,141 50
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Afghanistan Population Forecast

-62,011
YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationAfghanistan
Global Rank
2025 44,515,793 2.70 % 1,108,713 -65,846 17.4 4.18 68 26.3 % 11,704,638 0.54 % 8,191,988,453 36
2030 50,330,837 2.49 % 1,163,009 -64,185 18.3 3.73 77 27.5 % 13,817,897 0.59 % 8,546,141,327 33
2035 56,226,855 2.24 % 1,179,204 -62,356 19.5 3.34 86 29.0 % 16,279,334 0.63 % 8,879,397,401 31
2040 62,180,342 2.03 % 1,190,697 -62,305 20.8 3.06 95 30.7 % 19,103,637 0.68 % 9,188,250,492 29
2045 68,161,269 1.85 % 1,196,185 -62,091 22.3 2.82 104 32.6 % 22,228,097 0.72 % 9,467,543,575 28
2050 74,075,234 1.68 % 1,182,793   23.7 2.62 113 34.4 % 25,498,515 0.76 % 9,709,491,761 25
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Afghanistan Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Afghanistan
Life Expectancy
64.23 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
37.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
48.9
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Afghanistan

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Kabul 3,043,532
2 Kandahar 391,190
3 Mazar-e Sharif 303,282
4 Herat 272,806
5 Jalalabad 200,331
6 Kunduz 161,902
7 Ghazni 141,000
8 Balkh 114,883
9 Baghlan 108,449
10 Gardez 103,601
11 Khost 96,123
12 Maymana 75,900
13 Khanabad 71,531
14 Bazarak 65,000
15 Khulm 64,933
16 Taloqan 64,256
17 Bamyan 61,863
18 Pul-e Khumri 56,369
19 Shibirghan 55,641
20 Charikar 53,676
21 Sar-e Pul 52,121
22 Zaranj 49,851
23 Paghman 49,157
24 Asadabad 48,400
25 Aibak 47,823
26 Fayzabad 44,421
27 Lashkar Gah 43,934
28 Gereshk 43,588
29 Farah 43,561
30 Ghormach 30,000
31 Shindand 29,264
32 Andkhoy 29,208
33 Rustaq 25,636
34 Qarawul 24,544
35 Nahrin 22,363
36 Baraki Barak 22,305
37 Art Khwajah 18,623
38 Kafir Qala 18,086
39 Karukh 17,484
40 Mehtar Lam 17,345
41 Kushk 16,952
42 Shahrak 15,967
43 Asmar 15,708
44 Sang-e Charak 15,377
45 Khash 15,133
46 Markaz-e Woluswali-ye Achin 15,098
47 Jabal os Saraj 15,032
48 Qarqin 15,018

See also

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Notes

The Afghanistan Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Afghanistan delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Afghanistan (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Afghanistan in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.