Rank #1 by World Population
🇦🇫Afghanistan
Afghanistan has a population of 41,454,761, ranking #1 in the world. The capital is Kabul. Located in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
World Bank: Low income
41,454,761
Population
#1
World Rank
66.0
Life Expectancy
$414
GDP Per Capita
Afghanistan, #1 by world population
Afghanistan Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Afghanistan had a population of 9,035,043 in 1960 and 42,647,492 in 2024, a 4.7× growth over 64 years. The peak was 42,647,492 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.50%.
42,647,492
Population (2024)
9,035,043
Population (1960)
42,647,492
Peak (2024)
2.50%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 9,035,043 |
| 1961 | 9,214,083 |
| 1962 | 9,404,406 |
| 1963 | 9,604,487 |
| 1964 | 9,814,318 |
| 1965 | 10,036,008 |
| 1966 | 10,266,395 |
| 1967 | 10,505,959 |
| 1968 | 10,756,922 |
| 1969 | 11,017,409 |
| 1970 | 11,290,128 |
| 1971 | 11,567,667 |
| 1972 | 11,853,696 |
| 1973 | 12,157,999 |
| 1974 | 12,469,127 |
| 1975 | 12,773,954 |
| 1976 | 13,059,851 |
| 1977 | 13,340,756 |
| 1978 | 13,611,441 |
| 1979 | 13,655,567 |
| 1980 | 13,169,311 |
| 1981 | 11,937,581 |
| 1982 | 10,991,378 |
| 1983 | 10,917,982 |
| 1984 | 11,190,221 |
| 1985 | 11,426,852 |
| 1986 | 11,420,074 |
| 1987 | 11,387,818 |
| 1988 | 11,523,298 |
| 1989 | 11,874,088 |
| 1990 | 12,045,660 |
| 1991 | 12,238,879 |
| 1992 | 13,278,974 |
| 1993 | 14,943,172 |
| 1994 | 16,250,794 |
| 1995 | 17,065,836 |
| 1996 | 17,763,266 |
| 1997 | 18,452,091 |
| 1998 | 19,159,996 |
| 1999 | 19,887,785 |
| 2000 | 20,130,327 |
| 2001 | 20,284,307 |
| 2002 | 21,378,117 |
| 2003 | 22,733,049 |
| 2004 | 23,560,654 |
| 2005 | 24,404,567 |
| 2006 | 25,424,094 |
| 2007 | 25,909,852 |
| 2008 | 26,482,622 |
| 2009 | 27,466,101 |
| 2010 | 28,284,089 |
| 2011 | 29,347,708 |
| 2012 | 30,560,034 |
| 2013 | 31,622,704 |
| 2014 | 32,792,523 |
| 2015 | 33,831,764 |
| 2016 | 34,700,612 |
| 2017 | 35,688,935 |
| 2018 | 36,743,039 |
| 2019 | 37,856,121 |
| 2020 | 39,068,979 |
| 2021 | 40,000,412 |
| 2022 | 40,578,842 |
| 2023 | 41,454,761 |
| 2024 | 42,647,492 |
Demographics
| Population | 41,454,761 |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.14% |
| Urban Population | 25.5% |
| Fertility Rate | 4.84 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 66.0 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 49.9 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 37.3% |
Economy & Trade
$414
GDP Per Capita
14.0%
Unemployment Rate
Low income
Income Level
67.6%
Trade (% of GDP)
Health & Education
15.0%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
0.32
Physicians per 1,000
37.3%
Literacy Rate
49.9
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
85.3%
Electricity Access
15.9%
Internet Users
57
Mobile Subs per 100
63.6
People per km2
-48,958
Net Migration
Environment
1.9%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Compare Afghanistan
Afghanistan in global context
Afghanistan is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghanistan has a population of 41,454,761, ranking #1 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.14%.
Life expectancy in Afghanistan is 66.0 years. The infant mortality rate is 49.9 per 1,000 live births.
Afghanistan's GDP per capita is $414. It is classified as a low income country by the World Bank.
25.5% of Afghanistan's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 63.6 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in Afghanistan is 37.3%.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.