Afghanistan Demographics

Population of Afghanistan (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Afghanistan

Afghanistan Population
45,047,068
see live
Yearly Change
+2.74%
Global Share
0.54%
Global Rank
36

Median Age

The median age in Afghanistan is 17.4 years (2026).

Fertility in Afghanistan

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.56
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Afghanistan

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
66.8
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
68.3
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
65.2
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Afghanistan


Infant Mortality
40.0
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
51.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Afghanistan Urban Population

Currently, 26.2% of the population of Afghanistan is urban (11,807,012 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Afghanistan is 69 people per km² (179 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 652,230 km² (251,827 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Towns in Afghanistan

The 30 largest of 49 cities and towns, ranked by population projections for September 21, 2020 (by Central Statistics Office, Afghanistan).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Kabul4,434,600
2Herat574,300
3Kandahar523,300
4Mazar-i-Sharif484,500
5Jalalabad271,900
6Kunduz189,300
7Pul-e Khumri123,700
8Maymana96,000
9Sheberghan93,600
10Lashkargah89,300
11Taluqan83,900
12Baghlan79,600
13Ghazni69,000
14Charikar65,900
15Khulm57,800
16Khan Abad47,600
17Farah42,800
18Imam Sahib40,700
19Ghorian40,100
20Fayzabad38,600
21Andkhoy37,900
22Sar-e Pul35,200
23Haibak33,900
24Zaranj30,400
25Gardez28,300
26Aqcha28,000
27Chahab27,600
28Paghman24,900
29Qal'ah-ye Zal21,800
30Kushk19,800
See all 49 cities and towns in Afghanistan

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.