AFG · AF · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Afghanistan
Afghanistan had a population of 45,047,068 people in 2026, ranking 36 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 45,047,068 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #36/ 237 Asia #15 / 51
- Share of world population
- 0.54% 2026
- Density
- 69.4 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 17.4 years
- Life expectancy
- 66.77 years
Country or area overview
Afghanistan is in Asia. In 2026, its population was 45,047,068 people, about 0.54% of the world total. It ranks #36 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 7,776,176 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 130,216,739 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 2.71%. The median age is 17.4. 42.2% of the population is under 15 and 2.5% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 66.77 and the total fertility rate is 4.56. Within Asia, it ranks #15 of 51 by population and #41 of 51 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Afghanistan map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 3,580,503 | 3,430,963 | 7,011,466 | 15.56% |
| 5–9 | 3,230,758 | 3,093,436 | 6,324,194 | 14.04% |
| 10–14 | 2,906,037 | 2,775,634 | 5,681,671 | 12.61% |
| 15–19 | 2,553,735 | 2,430,778 | 4,984,513 | 11.07% |
| 20–24 | 2,266,642 | 2,165,963 | 4,432,605 | 9.84% |
| 25–29 | 1,950,995 | 1,892,258 | 3,843,253 | 8.53% |
| 30–34 | 1,573,152 | 1,547,656 | 3,120,808 | 6.93% |
| 35–39 | 1,199,864 | 1,185,253 | 2,385,117 | 5.29% |
| 40–44 | 920,631 | 912,577 | 1,833,208 | 4.07% |
| 45–49 | 754,040 | 751,818 | 1,505,858 | 3.34% |
| 50–54 | 599,195 | 614,494 | 1,213,689 | 2.69% |
| 55–59 | 444,089 | 484,750 | 928,839 | 2.06% |
| 60–64 | 308,370 | 368,678 | 677,048 | 1.50% |
| 65–69 | 209,034 | 268,183 | 477,217 | 1.06% |
| 70–74 | 133,617 | 180,482 | 314,099 | 0.70% |
| 75–79 | 75,612 | 111,608 | 187,220 | 0.42% |
| 80–84 | 35,923 | 54,488 | 90,411 | 0.20% |
| 85–89 | 11,226 | 18,077 | 29,303 | 0.07% |
| 90–94 | 2,046 | 3,857 | 5,903 | 0.01% |
| 95–99 | 186 | 433 | 619 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 7 | 23 | 30 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 45,047,068 people | 130,216,739 people | people |
| Male population | 22,755,660 people | 65,177,409 people | people |
| Female population | 22,291,409 people | 65,039,330 people | people |
| Population density | 69.4 people/km² | 200.6 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 102.1 | 100.2 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 17.4 | 34.8 | years |
| Natural change | 1,272,232 | 651,496 | people |
| Natural change rate | 28.24 ‰ | 5.00 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 1,218,351 | 552,431 | people |
| Population growth rate | 2.71% | 0.42% | % |
| Population doubling time | 25.6 | — | years |
| Births | 1,520,756 people | 1,813,187 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 136,447 | 34,903 | people |
| Birth rate | 33.76 ‰ | 13.92 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 4.56 | 2.06 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 2.046 | 0.987 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 30.59 | 32.17 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 105.1 | 104.9 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 248,524 people | 1,161,691 people | people |
| Male deaths | 130,856 | 609,846 | people |
| Female deaths | 117,668 | 551,845 | people |
| Death rate | 5.52 ‰ | 8.92 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 66.77 | 77.31 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 65.15 | 75.43 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 68.33 | 79.23 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 55.90 | 63.21 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.42 | 17.02 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.65 | 7.45 | years |
| Infant deaths | 60,799 | 14,735 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 40.04 ‰ | 8.12 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 1,469,463 | 1,799,426 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 77,119 | 17,971 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 51.17 ‰ | 9.90 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -53,884 | -99,070 | people |
| Net migration rate | -1.20 ‰ | -0.76 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Afghanistan?
- In 2026, Afghanistan had a population of 45,047,068 people. It ranks #36 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Afghanistan changed?
- The population was 7,776,176 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 130,216,739 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Afghanistan?
- The median age is 17.4. 42.2% of the population is under 15 and 2.5% is 65 or older.
- How does Afghanistan compare within Asia?
- By total population, Afghanistan ranks #15 of 51 in Asia and #36 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.