The current population of Afghanistan is as of , based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data¹.
Afghanistan 2025 population is estimated at 43,844,111 people at mid-year.
Afghanistan population is equivalent to 0.53% of the total world population.
Afghanistan ranks number 36 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in Afghanistan is 67 per Km² (174 people per mi²).
The total land area is 652,860 Km² (252,071 sq. miles).
26.70% of the population is urban (11,704,638 people in 2025)
The median age in Afghanistan is 17.3 years.

1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Afghanistan (2025 and historical)

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Afghanistan Global Rank
2025	43,844,111	2.81%	1,196,619	−74,404	17.3	4.66	67	26.7%	11,704,638	0.53%	8,231,613,070	36
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	1.91%	754,932	−647,402	16.8	4.93	62	26.1%	10,587,583	0.51%	8,021,407,192	37
2020	39,068,979	2.92%	1,047,443	143,634	16.4	5.14	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	6.2	43	24.2%	6,836,980	0.40%	7,021,732,148	44
2005	24,404,567	3.93%	854,848	250,971	14	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	7.57	31	22%	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	7.58	18	21.5%	2,593,947	0.23%	5,327,803,110	59
1985	11,426,852	−2.8%	−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	2.5%	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	7.4	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	7.3	15	9.8%	984,350	0.30%	3,334,533,703	46
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).

Afghanistan Population Forecast

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Afghanistan Global Rank
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	3.3	107	31.7%	22,228,097	0.74%	9,439,639,668	26
2050	76,885,135	1.89%	1,372,787	−123,627	23	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

66.5 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality Rate

41.4

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Deaths under age 5

52.9

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Afghanistan

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

#	City	Population
1	Kabul	4,434,550
2	Herat	574,300
3	Mazar-e Sharif	523,300
4	Kandahar	523,300
5	Jalalabad	271,900
6	Kunduz	161,902
7	Ghazni	141,000
8	Balkh	114,883
9	Baghlan	108,449
10	Gardez	103,601
11	Khost	96,123
12	Maymana	75,900
13	Khanabad	71,531
14	Bazarak	65,000
15	Bazar-e Yakawlang	65,000
16	Khulm	64,933
17	Taloqan	64,256
18	Bamyan	61,863
19	Pul-e Khumri	56,369
20	Shibirghan	55,641
21	Charikar	53,676
22	Sar-e Pul	52,121
23	Zaranj	49,851
24	Paghman	49,157
25	Asadabad	48,400
26	Aibak	47,823
27	Fayzabad	44,421
28	Lashkar Gah	43,934
29	Gereshk	43,588
30	Farah	43,561
31	Ghormach	30,000
32	Shindand	29,264
33	Andkhoy	29,208
34	Rustaq	25,636
35	Khan Neshin	25,600
36	Qarawul	24,544
37	Nahrin	22,363
38	Baraki Barak	22,305
39	Art Khwajah	18,623
40	Eslam Qaleh	18,086
41	Karukh	17,484
42	Mehtar Lam	17,345
43	Kushk	16,952
44	Shahrak	15,967
45	Asmar	15,708
46	Sang-e Charak	15,377
47	Khash	15,133
48	Markaz-e Woluswali-ye Achin	15,098
49	Jabal os Saraj	15,032
50	Qarqin	15,018

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 - 2025) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2025.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2025. 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 2025: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). 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 2025: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). 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.

Afghanistan Population (LIVE)