What is the population of Afghanistan in 2026?
Afghanistan has a population of 43,844,111 people (2025 estimate), which is 36th in the world and about 0.53% of the global total.
Officially Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Population 2025
43,844,111
0.53% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+2.77%
+1,213,167 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
64/km²
652,230 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
17.3 years
Life expectancy 66.3 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Afghanistan
With a population exceeding 43.8 million and a median age of just 17.3 years, Afghanistan has one of the world's youngest populations, driving an annual growth rate of 2.8%. The country spans 652,230 km² across Asia with a population density of 64 people per km², though only 26% live in urban areas. Life expectancy stands at 66.3 years, and the fertility rate of 4.8 births per woman reflects a rapidly expanding demographic.
The economy remains modest by global standards, with a per capita GDP of $417. Kabul serves as the capital and largest city. Dari, Pashto, and Turkmen are spoken across the unitary state, which borders six countries: Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Afghanistan was established as a nation in 1709 and uses the Afghan afghani as its currency.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- ISO codes
- AF · AFG
- Demonym
- Afghan
- Currency
- Afghan afghani (AFN ؋)
- Government
- Emirate, Islamic theocracy, Unitary state +1 more
- State inception
- 1709
- Time zone
- UTC+04:30
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +93
- Internet TLD
- .af
- Land neighbours
- 6
Languages
- Dari
- Pashto
- Turkmen
Demographics
Economy
Not published for Afghanistan: Gini Index.
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 42.9%
- Age 15–64
- 54.7%
- Age 65+
- 2.4%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 5 | 18 |
| 95-99 | 155 | 367 |
| 90-94 | 1,778 | 3,381 |
| 85-89 | 10,201 | 16,444 |
| 80-84 | 32,846 | 48,489 |
| 75-79 | 72,022 | 106,736 |
| 70-74 | 123,775 | 166,479 |
| 65-69 | 193,322 | 247,939 |
| 60-64 | 280,247 | 340,773 |
| 55-59 | 401,039 | 448,504 |
| 50-54 | 549,614 | 571,731 |
| 45-49 | 704,144 | 705,297 |
| 40-44 | 855,941 | 847,703 |
| 35-39 | 1,087,432 | 1,074,813 |
| 30-34 | 1,427,410 | 1,406,238 |
| 25-29 | 1,819,366 | 1,776,716 |
| 20-24 | 2,177,015 | 2,087,175 |
| 15-19 | 2,445,200 | 2,326,735 |
| 10-14 | 2,775,836 | 2,646,485 |
| 5-9 | 3,112,693 | 2,977,050 |
| 0-4 | 3,462,499 | 3,315,884 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 7,776,176 |
| 1960 | 9,035,043 |
| 1970 | 11,290,128 |
| 1980 | 13,169,311 |
| 1990 | 12,045,660 |
| 2000 | 20,130,327 |
| 2010 | 28,284,089 |
| 2020 | 39,068,979 |
| 2030 | 50,039,402 |
| 2040 | 63,347,870 |
| 2050 | 76,885,135 |
| 2060 | 90,362,736 |
| 2070 | 103,416,642 |
| 2080 | 114,673,795 |
| 2090 | 123,304,496 |
| 2100 | 130,216,739 |
How Afghanistan Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
- India1.46B
- China1.41B
- United States341.8M
- Indonesia285.7M
- Pakistan255.2M
- Nigeria237.5M
- Brazil212.8M
- Bangladesh175.7M
- Russia143.5M
- Ethiopia135.5M
- Afghanistan43.8M
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Afghanistan | 43.8M |
Major Cities in Afghanistan
1 metropolitan area in our city dataset.
- Kabul4.6M · +4.25%
Countries Bordering Afghanistan
6 land borders.
- Iran92.4M · +0.92%
- Pakistan255.2M · +1.56%
- Turkmenistan7.62M · +1.65%
- Uzbekistan37.1M · +1.88%
- Tajikistan10.8M · +1.83%
- China1.41B · −0.17%
Afghanistan Population FAQ
Is the population of Afghanistan growing or shrinking?
Afghanistan's population is growing at +2.77% per year, a change of roughly 1,213,167 people annually.
What is the capital of Afghanistan?
The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul.
What is the largest city in Afghanistan?
Kabul is the largest metropolitan area in Afghanistan, with about 4.6M people.
How densely populated is Afghanistan?
Afghanistan has 64/km² across 652,230 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Afghanistan?
Life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan is 66.3 years (2024).
What is the median age in Afghanistan?
The median age in Afghanistan is 17.3 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Afghanistan in?
Afghanistan is in Asia.