Afghanistan
Country in Asia
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 43.8M (2025). World rank 36 of 216; in Asia, 15 of 49. Area: 652,230 km². World rank 42 of 249; in Asia, 11 of 50. GDP per person: $417 (2024). World rank 209 of 210 (1 = best); in Asia, 47 of 47. From 2015 to 2025: population 33.8M → 43.8M. Worse than all its neighbours (Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China): life expectancy and GDP per person.
State
- Official name
- Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
- Local name
- افغانستان
- Capital
- Kabul
- Region
- Asia
- Form of government
- Theocracy
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Hibatullah Akhundzada
- Head of government
- Mohammad Hasan Akhund
- Independence
- August 19, 1919
- Women in parliament
- 27% 2021
Key figures
- Population
- 43,844,111 2025
- Area
- 652,230 km²
- GDP
- $17.8B 2024
- GDP per person
- $417 2024
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Dari, Pashto, Turkmen
- Currency
- Afghan Afghani (AFN)
- Time zones
- UTC+4:30
- Calling code
- +93
- Emergency numbers
- 100, 101, 102, 112
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, F
- Mains voltage
- 240 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Landlocked
- Coastline, km
- 0
- Neighbours
- Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China
- Agricultural land
- 58.4% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Noshaq, 7,492 m
- Lowest point
- Amu Darya, 258 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 1,884
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 12
- Warmest month in the capital
- July, 23°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- January, -1°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 327 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 67.2 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2.8% 2025
- Living in cities
- 25.9% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -74.4K 2025
- Born in another country
- 0.2% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 42.6% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 55% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 2.4% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 67.8 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 64.7 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 4.8 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 35 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 5.7 2024
Society
- Religions
- Muslim 99.7% (2009)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 28.1 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 21.7 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 12 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 30.8 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 17.7 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $2,236 2024
- GDP growth per year
- +1.9% 2024
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Low income
- Gross national income per person
- $390 2024
- Inflation
- -6.6% 2024
- Price level, USA = 100
- 20 2020
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 34.3% 2024
- Industry, share of GDP
- 14.5% 2024
- Services, share of GDP
- 45.2% 2024
- Unemployment
- 13.4% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 16.8% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 5.1% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 15.7% 2024
- Imports, share of GDP
- 68.1% 2024
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -15.7% 2020
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +0.1% 2021
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 4% 2020
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 9.9% 2017
Education
- Adult literacy
- 37.3% 2021
- Primary school enrolment
- 112% 2023
- Secondary school enrolment
- 59.6% 2023
- Higher education enrolment
- 10.9% 2020
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 4.3% 2017
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 15% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $59 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 77.1% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.3 2023
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 0.6 2023
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 0.4 2023
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 55% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 48.3 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 53 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 521 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.1% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 11.7% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 48.6% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 22.1% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 80.8% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 54.5% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 30% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 4 2021
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 15.9 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 3.6 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 29.8 2025
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes, floods, and droughts
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 38 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.3 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 0.8 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 1.9% 2024
- Protected areas
- 3.6% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 1,162 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 54.8% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 16.1% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 60 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 0.1 2023
- Internet domain
- .af
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 87.8% 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 20% 2022
- Electricity from renewables
- 78.2% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 21.8% 2021
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 1,031,379 2023
- Airports
- 68 2025
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 169 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 0% 2019