Afghanistan has a population density of 169.4 people per square mile compared to 1,373 people in South Korea. Afghanistan has 164,618 sq ft of land per person vs 20,861 sq ft in South Korea. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Afghanistan and South Korea are ranked 124th and 18th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Afghanistan has 0.52% of the world's population and 0.44% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.64% of the population and 0.07% of the land area for South Korea, hence the population density in Afghanistan is 87.7% lower than in South Korea.
Population density comparison
Afghanistan
|
South Korea
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 169.4 ppl/mi² | 1,373 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 124/197 | 18/197 |
| Population |
44810409
|
51700480
|
| Land area | 251,827 sq mi | 37,684 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 164,618 sq ft | 20,300 sq ft |
| Rural population | 72.7% | 18.5% |
| Urban population | 27.3% | 81.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 10% | 52% |
Afghanistan vs South Korea:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Afghanistan increased by 81%, compared to a 6.77% growth in South Korea.
In 2004, Afghanistan ranked 136th for population density and is in 124th place now. South Korea was 13th in 2004 and ranks 18th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Afghanistan
|
South Korea
|
|
| 2024 | 169.4 | 1,373 |
| 2023 | 164.6 | 1,372 |
| 2022 | 161.1 | 1,371 |
| 2021 | 158.8 | 1,374 |
| 2020 | 155.1 | 1,376 |
| 2019 | 150.3 | 1,374 |
| 2018 | 145.9 | 1,370 |
| 2017 | 141.7 | 1,364 |
| 2016 | 137.8 | 1,361 |
| 2015 | 134.3 | 1,356 |
| 2014 | 130.2 | 1,349 |
| 2013 | 125.6 | 1,341 |
| 2012 | 121.4 | 1,336 |
| 2011 | 116.5 | 1,331 |
| 2010 | 112.3 | 1,320 |
| 2009 | 109.1 | 1,316 |
| 2008 | 105.2 | 1,310 |
| 2007 | 102.9 | 1,301 |
| 2006 | 101 | 1,295 |
| 2005 | 96.9 | 1,289 |
| 2004 | 93.6 | 1,286 |
| 2003 | 90.3 | 1,281 |
| 2002 | 84.9 | 1,275 |
| 2001 | 80.5 | 1,268 |
| 2000 | 79.9 | 1,262 |
| 1999 | 79 | 1,252 |
| 1998 | 76.1 | 1,243 |
| 1997 | 73.3 | 1,234 |
| 1996 | 70.5 | 1,222 |
| 1995 | 67.8 | 1,211 |
| 1994 | 64.5 | 1,199 |
| 1993 | 59.3 | 1,187 |
| 1992 | 52.7 | 1,175 |
| 1991 | 48.6 | 1,163 |
| 1990 | 47.8 | 1,151 |
| 1989 | 47.2 | 1,140 |
| 1988 | 45.8 | 1,129 |
| 1987 | 45.2 | 1,118 |
| 1986 | 45.3 | 1,107 |
| 1985 | 45.4 | 1,096 |
| 1984 | 44.4 | 1,085 |
| 1983 | 43.4 | 1,072 |
| 1982 | 43.6 | 1,056 |
| 1981 | 47.4 | 1,040 |
| 1980 | 52.3 | 1,024 |
| 1979 | 54.2 | 1,008 |
| 1978 | 54.1 | 993 |
| 1977 | 53 | 978 |
| 1976 | 51.9 | 963 |
| 1975 | 50.7 | 947 |
| 1974 | 49.5 | 932 |
| 1973 | 48.3 | 916 |
| 1972 | 47.1 | 900 |
| 1971 | 45.9 | 883 |
| 1970 | 44.8 | 866 |
| 1969 | 43.7 | 847 |
| 1968 | 42.7 | 828 |
| 1967 | 41.7 | 809 |
| 1966 | 40.8 | 790 |
| 1965 | 39.9 | 771 |
| 1964 | 39 | 751 |
| 1963 | 38.1 | 732 |
| 1962 | 37.3 | 712 |
| 1961 | 36.6 | 692 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Afghanistan
|
South Korea
|
|
| 2024 | 27.3% | 81.5% |
| 2023 | 26.9% | 81.5% |
| 2022 | 26.6% | 81.4% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | 81.4% |
| 2020 | 26% | 81.4% |
| 2019 | 25.8% | 81.4% |
| 2018 | 25.5% | 81.5% |
| 2017 | 25.2% | 81.5% |
| 2016 | 25% | 81.6% |
| 2015 | 24.8% | 81.6% |
| 2014 | 24.6% | 81.7% |
| 2013 | 24.4% | 81.8% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | 81.9% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | 81.9% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | 81.9% |
| 2009 | 23.5% | 81.8% |
| 2008 | 23.3% | 81.7% |
| 2007 | 23.1% | 81.6% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | 81.5% |
| 2005 | 22.7% | 81.3% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | 81% |
| 2003 | 22.4% | 80.7% |
| 2002 | 22.3% | 80.3% |
| 2001 | 22.2% | 79.9% |
| 2000 | 22.1% | 79.6% |
| 1999 | 22% | 79.4% |
| 1998 | 21.9% | 79.1% |
| 1997 | 21.8% | 78.9% |
| 1996 | 21.7% | 78.7% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | 78.2% |
| 1994 | 21.5% | 77.5% |
| 1993 | 21.4% | 76.6% |
| 1992 | 21.4% | 75.8% |
| 1991 | 21.3% | 75% |
| 1990 | 21.2% | 73.8% |
| 1989 | 21.1% | 72.1% |
| 1988 | 21% | 70.4% |
| 1987 | 20.3% | 68.6% |
| 1986 | 19.6% | 66.7% |
| 1985 | 19% | 64.9% |
| 1984 | 18.4% | 63.3% |
| 1983 | 17.7% | 61.7% |
| 1982 | 17.1% | 60.1% |
| 1981 | 16.6% | 58.4% |
| 1980 | 16% | 56.7% |
| 1979 | 15.4% | 55% |
| 1978 | 15% | 53.2% |
| 1977 | 14.5% | 51.5% |
| 1976 | 14.1% | 49.7% |
| 1975 | 13.6% | 48% |
| 1974 | 13.2% | 46.6% |
| 1973 | 12.8% | 45.1% |
| 1972 | 12.4% | 43.7% |
| 1971 | 12% | 42.3% |
| 1970 | 11.6% | 40.7% |
| 1969 | 11.3% | 38.8% |
| 1968 | 10.9% | 36.8% |
| 1967 | 10.6% | 35% |
| 1966 | 10.2% | 33.3% |
| 1965 | 9.9% | 32.4% |
| 1964 | 9.59% | 31.4% |
| 1963 | 9.28% | 30.4% |
| 1962 | 8.98% | 29.5% |
| 1961 | 8.68% | 28.5% |
| 1960 | 8.4% | 27.7% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 22.5% to 27.3% in Afghanistan and from 81% to 81.5% in South Korea.
Densely populated cities
|
Afghanistan
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kabul | 4.27M |
| Kandahar | 614K |
| Herat | 556K |
| Mazar-i-Sharif | 469K |
| Kunduz | 357K |
| Jalalabad | 263K |
| Lashkargah | 202K |
| Sheberghan | 176K |
| Khost | 160K |
| Ghazni | 143K |
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