placestats

Last European coloniser: Never a European colony · Largest religious group: Muslims. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Afghanistan

Against low income countries, Afghanistan ranks 3rd of 25 on infrastructure and 24th of 25 on labour. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Afghanistan with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Afghanistan reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025-1.40178 of 17924 of 25moderate +0.53
Health score 2024-0.33152 of 19320 of 25moderate +0.32
Education score 2023-0.56176 of 1997 of 24proxy +0.81
Infrastructure score 2024+0.12171 of 2103 of 25proxy +0.90
Gender score 2020-0.76173 of 18621 of 25moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.15114 of 21319 of 25moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025-1.26187 of 19524 of 25high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Afghanistan, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Conflict deaths0.753per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present11 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate4.03per 100,000 population2021higher is worse

culture

Religiously unaffiliated0.00846%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share0.0194%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share99.9%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households0.99%% of households2015no agreed direction
One-person households0.19%% of households2015no agreed direction
Women in a union65.9%% of women aged 15-492023no agreed direction

demography

Median age16.9years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing30.4years2023no agreed direction
Population43,844,111people2025no agreed direction
Population growth2.77%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization25.9%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+2.43%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1442.6%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate4.76births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate35per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration-74,404people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population0.2%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

HDI0.496index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.321index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$1,964international $2024higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$1,960international $2024higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$374US$2024higher is better
GDP growth1.87%% per year2024no agreed direction
Inflation-6.6%% per year2024no agreed direction
Trade openness83.8%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
FDI inflows0.144%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Tax revenue9.9%% of GDP2017no agreed direction
Government consumption23.6%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government expense39.2%% of GDP2017no agreed direction
Military spending1.83%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture51.6%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

Primary completion55.4%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling10.8years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling2.51years2023higher is better
Education spending4.34%% of GDP2017no agreed direction
Primary enrollment112%% gross2023higher is better
Secondary enrollment59.6%% gross2023higher is better
Tertiary enrollment10.9%% gross2020higher is better
Adult literacy37.3%% of adults2021higher is better
Compulsory schooling9years2025no agreed direction
Pupil-teacher ratio48.8pupils per teacher2018higher is worse

environment

CO2 per capita0.283t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area1.85%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land58.4%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land3.6%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender Inequality Index0.661index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.66ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.028index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers6.45%% of ministers2020higher is better
Women in parliament27%% of seats2021higher is better
Women in management5.89%% of managers2020higher is better
Married by 1828.7%% of women aged 20-242023higher is worse

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index17index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)7rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)7rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Pre-trial detainee share31.3%% of prisoners2014higher is worse
Refugees originating13,521per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.069index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.018index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.051index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type0regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.769index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.022index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.023index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.021index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.043index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration42.3%% of children under 52015higher is better
Control of corruption-1.31index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law-1.94index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness-1.93index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality-1.54index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability-2.15index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability-2.21index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy66.3years2024higher is better
Infant mortality48.3per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality53per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending15%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate3.6per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds0.35per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction
Basic water access80.8%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation54.5%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting42%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility61.5births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality521per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance61.8%% of births2020higher is better
Alcohol consumption0.011litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use22.1%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths15.9per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians0.317per 1,000 people2023higher is better
DTP3 immunisation59%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
HIV prevalence0.1%% of adults aged 15-492024higher is worse
Tuberculosis incidence203per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality32.7%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women45.4%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending77.1%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment28.1%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity80.8%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity20.6%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index42index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

infrastructure

Internet users16.1%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions60.1per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access87.8%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population71.6%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband0.0801per 100 people2023higher is better

labor

Informal employment86.1%% of employment2021higher is worse
Unemployment13.4%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation5.09%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation69.8%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study43.8%% of 15 to 24 year olds2021higher is worse
Vulnerable employment81.8%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Life satisfaction1.45score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Afghanistan

Also in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Arab Rep., Iran, Islamic Rep., Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Rep..

Also low income, in other regions: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dem. Rep., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, The, Guinea-Bissau, Korea, Dem. People's Rep., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Fed. Rep., South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda.