Afghanistan Population (LIVE)

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Afghanistan Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Afghanistan is 43,174,533 as of Wednesday, December 11, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Afghanistan 2024 population is estimated at 42,647,492 people at mid year.
  • Afghanistan population is equivalent to 0.52% 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 (169 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 652,860 Km2 (252,071 sq. miles).
  • 26.5 % of the population is urban (11,320,521 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Afghanistan is 17.1 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 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 42,647,492 2.88 % 1,192,731 -44,089 17.1 4.76 65 26.5 % 11,320,521 0.52 % 8,161,972,572 36
2023 41,454,761 2.16 % 875,919 -48,958 16.9 4.84 63 26.4 % 10,948,055 0.51 % 8,091,734,930 36
2022 40,578,842 1.45 % 578,430 -647,402 16.8 4.93 62 26.1 % 10,587,583 0.51 % 8,021,407,192 37
2020 39,068,979 3.20 % 1,212,858 143,634 16.4 5.15 60 25.4 % 9,904,337 0.50 % 7,887,001,292 37
2015 33,831,764 3.65 % 1,109,535 -286,314 15.5 5.65 52 24.7 % 8,367,571 0.45 % 7,470,491,872 40
2010 28,284,089 2.99 % 775,904 -167,460 14.6 6.20 43 24.2 % 6,836,980 0.40 % 7,021,732,148 44
2005 24,404,567 3.93 % 854,848 250,971 14.0 6.86 37 23.3 % 5,691,836 0.37 % 6,586,970,132 45
2000 20,130,327 3.36 % 612,898-1,025,973 14.0 7.57 31 22.0 % 4,436,282 0.33 % 6,171,702,993 48
1995 17,065,836 7.22 % 1,004,035 52,505 14.6 7.77 26 21.7 % 3,697,570 0.30 % 5,758,878,982 51
1990 12,045,660 1.06 % 123,762 -458,737 15.0 7.58 18 21.5 % 2,593,947 0.23 % 5,327,803,110 59
1985 11,426,852 -2.80 % -348,492 -208,685 15.3 7.55 18 19.6 % 2,238,468 0.23 % 4,868,943,465 56
1980 13,169,311 0.61 % 79,071 -1,174,239 15.8 7.64 20 16.1 % 2,119,078 0.30 % 4,447,606,236 51
1975 12,773,954 2.50 % 296,765 -44,418 16.4 7.54 20 13.4 % 1,717,422 0.31 % 4,070,735,277 49
1970 11,290,128 2.38 % 250,824 4,458 17.0 7.40 17 11.5 % 1,295,433 0.31 % 3,694,683,794 49
1965 10,036,008 2.12 % 200,193 10,695 17.5 7.31 15 9.8 % 984,350 0.30 % 3,334,533,703 48
1960 9,035,043 1.65 % 141,613 2,606 17.9 7.28 14 8.4 % 755,797 0.30 % 3,015,470,894 48
1955 8,326,979 1.38 % 110,161 -7,263 18.2 7.26 13 7.1 % 587,818 0.30 % 2,740,213,792 48
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Afghanistan Population Forecast

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 43,844,111 2.33 % 955,026 -74,404 17.3 4.66 67 26.7 % 11,704,638 0.53 % 8,231,613,070 36
2030 50,039,402 2.68 % 1,239,058 20,392 18.2 4.22 77 27.6 % 13,817,897 0.58 % 8,569,124,911 34
2035 56,647,232 2.51 % 1,321,566 -79,582 19.3 3.89 87 28.7 % 16,279,334 0.64 % 8,885,210,181 31
2040 63,347,870 2.26 % 1,340,128 33,259 20.5 3.56 97 30.2 % 19,103,637 0.69 % 9,177,190,203 28
2045 70,021,200 2.02 % 1,334,666 -76,758 21.7 3.30 107 31.7 % 22,228,097 0.74 % 9,439,639,668 26
2050 76,885,135 1.89 % 1,372,787   23.0 3.09 118 33.2 % 25,498,515 0.80 % 9,664,378,587 25
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Afghanistan Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Afghanistan
Life Expectancy
66.29 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
42.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
54.5
(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 4,434,550
2 Herat 574,300
3 Mazar-e Sharif 523,300
3 Kandahar 523,300
4 Jalalabad 271,900
5 Kunduz 161,902
6 Ghazni 141,000
7 Balkh 114,883
8 Baghlan 108,449
9 Gardez 103,601
10 Khost 96,123
11 Maymana 75,900
12 Khanabad 71,531
13 Bazar-e Yakawlang 65,000
13 Bazarak 65,000
14 Khulm 64,933
15 Taloqan 64,256
16 Bamyan 61,863
17 Pul-e Khumri 56,369
18 Shibirghan 55,641
19 Charikar 53,676
20 Sar-e Pul 52,121
21 Zaranj 49,851
22 Paghman 49,157
23 Asadabad 48,400
24 Aibak 47,823
25 Fayzabad 44,421
26 Lashkar Gah 43,934
27 Gereshk 43,588
28 Farah 43,561
29 Ghormach 30,000
30 Shindand 29,264
31 Andkhoy 29,208
32 Rustaq 25,636
33 Khan Neshin 25,600
34 Qarawul 24,544
35 Nahrin 22,363
36 Baraki Barak 22,305
37 Art Khwajah 18,623
38 Eslam Qaleh 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

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 2024 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.