PopulationTracker

Afghanistan population

Current population of Afghanistan

45,183,479

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
875
Deaths today
142
Change today (UTC)
+691
World rank
36th of 218
0.53% of world population
Population
43,844,111
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+2.77%
2025
Density
64 /km²
2023
Land area
652,230 km²
Urban population
26%
2025
Median age
17.3 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
4.76
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
66.3 yrs
2024
Net migration
−74,404
2025
Capital
Kabul
Region
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Population of Afghanistan: overview

Afghanistan has a population of 43,844,111 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 36th largest in the world. About 0.53% of the world's population lives in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is part of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan region and its capital is Kabul.

The population is growing rapidly, at 2.77% per year — among the fastest rates recorded anywhere. In absolute terms that meant roughly 1,196,619 additional people over the past year. That growth comes despite net emigration of about 74,404 people in 2025.

Population density is moderate — about 64 people per km², spread across 652,230 km² of land. It is one of the least urbanized countries in the world — just 26% of people live in cities.

With a median age of just 17.3 years, Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations in the world. Fertility remains high at 4.76 children per woman. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 76.89 million people by 2050, about 75% more than today. The 2030 projection is 50,039,402.

Afghanistan population, 1960–2025 and projections

020M40M60M80M19601980200020202040projected2025: 43.84M1960: 9,035,0431961: 9,214,0831962: 9,404,4061963: 9,604,4871964: 9,814,3181965: 10,036,0081966: 10,266,3951967: 10,505,9591968: 10,756,9221969: 11,017,4091970: 11,290,1281971: 11,567,6671972: 11,853,6961973: 12,157,9991974: 12,469,1271975: 12,773,9541976: 13,059,8511977: 13,340,7561978: 13,611,4411979: 13,655,5671980: 13,169,3111981: 11,937,5811982: 10,991,3781983: 10,917,9821984: 11,190,2211985: 11,426,8521986: 11,420,0741987: 11,387,8181988: 11,523,2981989: 11,874,0881990: 12,045,6601991: 12,238,8791992: 13,278,9741993: 14,943,1721994: 16,250,7941995: 17,065,8361996: 17,763,2661997: 18,452,0911998: 19,159,9961999: 19,887,7852000: 20,130,3272001: 20,284,3072002: 21,378,1172003: 22,733,0492004: 23,560,6542005: 24,404,5672006: 25,424,0942007: 25,909,8522008: 26,482,6222009: 27,466,1012010: 28,284,0892011: 29,347,7082012: 30,560,0342013: 31,622,7042014: 32,792,5232015: 33,831,7642016: 34,700,6122017: 35,688,9352018: 36,743,0392019: 37,856,1212020: 39,068,9792021: 40,000,4122022: 40,578,8422023: 41,454,7612024: 42,647,4922025: 43,844,1112030: 50,039,4022050: 76,885,134
Population of Afghanistan by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
202543,844,111+2.77%+1,196,619
202442,647,492+2.84%+1,192,731
202341,454,761+2.14%+875,919
202240,578,842+1.44%+578,430
202140,000,412+2.36%+931,433
202039,068,979+3.15%+1,212,858
201937,856,121+2.98%+1,113,082
201836,743,039+2.91%+1,054,104
201735,688,935+2.81%+988,323
201634,700,612+2.54%+868,848
201533,831,764+3.12%+1,039,241
201432,792,523+3.63%+1,169,819
201028,284,089+2.93%+817,988
200524,404,567+3.52%+843,913
200020,130,327+1.21%+242,542
199517,065,836+4.89%+815,042
199012,045,660+1.43%+171,572
198511,426,852+2.09%+236,631
198013,169,311−3.63%−486,256
197512,773,954+2.42%+304,827
197011,290,128+2.45%+272,719
196510,036,008+2.23%+221,690
19609,035,043––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Afghanistan population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Afghanistan
YearProjected populationvs today
203050,039,402+14.1%
205076,885,134+75.4%

Afghanistan population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 42.6% of Afghanistan's population is under 15, 55.0% is of working age (15–64), and 2.4% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%8%8%10%10%0-4 male: 3,522,983 (8.0%)0-4 female: 3,374,850 (7.7%)0-45-9 male: 3,172,512 (7.2%)5-9 female: 3,036,076 (6.9%)10-14 male: 2,841,954 (6.5%)10-14 female: 2,712,084 (6.2%)10-1415-19 male: 2,496,388 (5.7%)15-19 female: 2,375,400 (5.4%)20-24 male: 2,224,214 (5.1%)20-24 female: 2,128,452 (4.9%)20-2425-29 male: 1,886,321 (4.3%)25-29 female: 1,835,987 (4.2%)30-34 male: 1,500,238 (3.4%)30-34 female: 1,477,149 (3.4%)30-3435-39 male: 1,142,596 (2.6%)35-39 female: 1,128,961 (2.6%)40-44 male: 885,406 (2.0%)40-44 female: 877,319 (2.0%)40-4445-49 male: 729,165 (1.7%)45-49 female: 728,396 (1.7%)50-54 male: 574,496 (1.3%)50-54 female: 593,038 (1.4%)50-5455-59 male: 422,236 (1.0%)55-59 female: 466,372 (1.1%)60-64 male: 293,632 (0.7%)60-64 female: 354,411 (0.8%)60-6465-69 male: 200,950 (0.5%)65-69 female: 257,907 (0.6%)70-74 male: 128,507 (0.3%)70-74 female: 173,060 (0.4%)70-7475-79 male: 73,813 (0.2%)75-79 female: 109,459 (0.2%)80-84 male: 34,365 (0.1%)80-84 female: 51,331 (0.1%)80-8485-89 male: 10,719 (0.0%)85-89 female: 17,248 (0.0%)90-94 male: 1,908 (0.0%)90-94 female: 3,611 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 170 (0.0%)95-99 female: 399 (0.0%)100+ male: 6 (0.0%)100+ female: 21 (0.0%)100+

Afghanistan population FAQ

What is the population of Afghanistan in 2026?

Afghanistan's population is estimated at about 45.18 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 43,844,111 (2025). Afghanistan ranks 36th in the world by population.

Is the population of Afghanistan growing or shrinking?

Afghanistan's population is growing at about 2.77% per year, an increase of roughly 1,196,619 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Afghanistan?

Afghanistan has about 64 people per square kilometre across a land area of 652,230 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is home to about 0.53% of the world's population.

What is Afghanistan's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Afghanistan's population at 76,885,134 in 2050, passing through 50,039,402 in 2030.

What is the median age in Afghanistan?

The median age in Afghanistan is 17.3 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.