Afghanistan Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Afghanistan is 45,409,324 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 42,647,492 in 2024.

For the last 20 years, Afghanistan has had an average growth rate of 3.93% per year.
Afghanistan is ranked 36/197 by population and was ranked 45th in 2006.
Afghanistan is projected to reach 132M people in 2100.
Afghanistan accounts for 0.55% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 25.4M people to 45.4M (78.6% growth in 20 years).

Afghanistan population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	131,803,615	0.5%
2099	131,145,502	0.51%
2098	130,482,225	0.52%
2097	129,808,066	0.51%
2096	129,147,895	0.52%
2095	128,473,977	0.56%
2094	127,761,785	0.59%
2093	127,018,448	0.59%
2092	126,270,202	0.61%
2091	125,508,788	0.7%
2090	124,636,092	0.64%
2089	123,843,293	0.66%
2088	123,034,495	0.73%
2087	122,147,758	0.63%
2086	121,381,088	0.74%
2085	120,486,343	0.83%
2084	119,491,780	0.73%
2083	118,631,246	0.75%
2082	117,742,446	0.77%
2081	116,842,143	0.91%
2080	115,793,841	1.02%
2079	114,630,140	0.88%
2078	113,624,958	0.98%
2077	112,523,374	0.97%
2076	111,442,221	0.94%
2075	110,399,328	1.06%
2074	109,236,338	1.18%
2073	107,960,305	1.14%
2072	106,746,984	1.12%
2071	105,568,382	1.28%
2070	104,230,485	1.23%
2069	102,964,062	1.31%
2068	101,629,164	1.24%
2067	100,380,826	1.28%
2066	99,116,663	1.44%
2065	97,714,113	1.46%
2064	96,306,602	1.43%
2063	94,949,108	1.46%
2062	93,579,065	1.37%
2061	92,316,077	1.45%
2060	91,000,643	1.43%
2059	89,717,353	1.55%
2058	88,346,732	1.64%
2057	86,917,997	1.68%
2056	85,480,219	1.67%
2055	84,074,268	1.69%
2054	82,676,432	1.71%
2053	81,285,014	1.72%
2052	79,908,081	1.61%
2051	78,643,202	1.7%
2050	77,331,830	1.93%
2049	75,864,863	1.86%
2048	74,479,782	1.86%
2047	73,119,204	1.98%
2046	71,697,214	1.91%
2045	70,353,118	1.92%
2044	69,024,959	2.02%
2043	67,657,423	1.96%
2042	66,357,363	2.12%
2041	64,976,778	2.27%
2040	63,535,531	2.26%
2039	62,129,737	2.18%
2038	60,803,646	2.27%
2037	59,454,331	2.3%
2036	58,114,874	2.31%
2035	56,804,011	2.35%
2034	55,502,408	2.52%
2033	54,135,876	2.55%
2032	52,791,273	2.64%
2031	51,433,991	2.7%
2030	50,079,746	2.69%
2029	48,768,949	2.6%
2028	47,533,470	2.64%
2027	46,310,865	2.74%
2026	45,075,045	2.75%
2025	43,870,455	2.87%
2024	42,647,492	2.88%
2023	41,454,761	2.16%
2022	40,578,842	1.45%
2021	40,000,412	2.38%
2020	39,068,979	3.2%
2019	37,856,121	3.03%
2018	36,743,039	2.95%
2017	35,688,935	2.85%
2016	34,700,612	2.57%
2015	33,831,764	3.17%
2014	32,792,523	3.7%
2013	31,622,704	3.48%
2012	30,560,034	4.13%
2011	29,347,708	3.76%
2010	28,284,089	2.98%
2009	27,466,101	3.71%
2008	26,482,622	2.21%
2007	25,909,852	1.91%
2006	25,424,094	4.18%
2005	24,404,567	3.58%
2004	23,560,654	3.64%
2003	22,733,049	6.34%
2002	21,378,117	5.39%
2001	20,284,307	0.76%
2000	20,130,327	1.22%
1999	19,887,785	3.8%
1998	19,159,996	3.84%
1997	18,452,091	3.88%
1996	17,763,266	4.09%
1995	17,065,836	5.02%
1994	16,250,794	8.75%
1993	14,943,172	12.5%
1992	13,278,974	8.5%
1991	12,238,879	1.6%
1990	12,045,660	1.44%
1989	11,874,088	3.04%
1988	11,523,298	1.19%
1987	11,387,818	-0.28%
1986	11,420,074	-0.06%
1985	11,426,852	2.11%
1984	11,190,221	2.49%
1983	10,917,982	-0.67%
1982	10,991,378	-7.93%
1981	11,937,581	-9.35%
1980	13,169,311	-3.56%
1979	13,655,567	0.32%
1978	13,611,441	2.03%
1977	13,340,756	2.15%
1976	13,059,851	2.24%
1975	12,773,954	2.44%
1974	12,469,127	2.56%
1973	12,157,999	2.57%
1972	11,853,696	2.47%
1971	11,567,667	2.46%
1970	11,290,128	2.48%
1969	11,017,409	2.42%
1968	10,756,922	2.39%
1967	10,505,959	2.33%
1966	10,266,395	2.3%
1965	10,036,008	2.26%
1964	9,814,318	2.18%
1963	9,604,487	2.13%
1962	9,404,406	2.07%
1961	9,214,083	1.98%
1960	9,035,043	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/afghanistan | CC BY

Afghanistan has a population of 45.4M as of 2026, compared to 34.7M in 2016, 25.4M in 2006, and 17.8M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 3.09% per year. Afghanistan is ranked 30th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Afghanistan will have 71,697,214 people (57.9% growth) with a rank change from 36th to 26th.

By the year 2100, Afghanistan's population is projected to grow by 190.3% from its current level to 132M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-74,404
2024	-	-	-44,089
2023	1,179,761	1,228,719	-48,958
2022	572,073	1,219,475	-647,402
2021	584,827	1,133,611	-548,784
2020	1,278,041	1,134,407	143,634
2019	1,147,644	1,138,485	9,159
2018	1,078,509	1,115,262	-36,753
2017	1,029,727	1,101,218	-71,491
2016	946,967	1,090,016	-143,049
2015	790,754	1,077,068	-286,314
2014	1,287,701	1,053,788	233,913
2013	1,051,897	1,033,778	18,119
2012	1,073,442	1,004,814	68,628
2011	1,351,229	966,743	384,486
2010	776,013	943,473	-167,460
2009	859,979	920,581	-60,602
2008	1,106,999	891,246	215,753
2007	38,550	889,848	-851,298
2006	932,974	875,301	57,673
2005	1,106,083	855,112	250,971
2004	581,746	850,940	-269,194
2003	1,073,482	826,165	247,317
2002	1,636,397	776,048	860,349
2001	551,218	764,090	-212,872
2000	-243,246	782,727	-1,025,973
1999	728,327	760,727	-32,400
1998	727,240	719,860	7,380
1997	688,563	709,778	-21,215
1996	689,077	685,005	4,072
1995	705,785	653,280	52,505
1994	924,302	609,096	315,206
1993	1,690,941	541,257	1,149,684
1992	1,637,461	440,132	1,197,329
1991	442,736	409,954	32,782
1990	-56,304	402,433	-458,737
1989	399,454	381,158	18,296
1988	302,134	358,397	-56,263
1987	-31,174	314,361	-345,535
1986	-33,331	310,066	-343,397
1985	19,784	228,469	-208,685
1984	453,486	205,262	248,224
1983	90,981	263,778	-172,797
1982	-237,788	263,210	-500,998
1981	-1,654,618	343,468	-1,998,086
1980	-808,843	365,396	-1,174,239
1979	-163,663	361,750	-525,413
1978	251,915	369,101	-117,186
1977	289,452	372,567	-83,115
1976	272,345	357,775	-85,430
1975	299,432	343,850	-44,418
1974	310,223	330,232	-20,009
1973	312,032	315,062	-3,030
1972	296,583	300,633	-4,050
1971	275,466	288,267	-12,801
1970	279,587	275,129	4,458
1969	265,852	263,823	2,029
1968	255,131	251,798	3,333
1967	246,791	239,967	6,824
1966	232,349	228,786	3,563
1965	228,436	217,741	10,695
1964	214,946	207,867	7,079
1963	204,716	198,035	6,681
1962	195,443	188,427	7,016
1961	185,203	179,094	6,109
1960	172,863	170,257	2,606

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/afghanistan | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 89% of the population change in Afghanistan is from natural causes (a gain of 11,292,049 people) and 11% is from migration (a loss of 1,396,045 people).

As of 2024, 98,110 residents or 0.2% of the population were not native-born in Afghanistan, compared to 102,276 and 0.4% in 2010.

Afghanistan population clock

	Afghanistan	Rank
Current population	45409324	36/197
Percent of world population	0.55%	36/197
One net population change	26.4 seconds	14/197
One birth every	21.5 seconds	18/196
One death every	2.19 minutes	39/196
Daily growth/decline	+3,268	14/197
Annual growth/decline	+1,192,731	14/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.88%	20/197
One migration net change every	7.08 minutes	179/196
Annual migration change	-74,404	179/196
Foreign-born residents	98,110	131/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.2%	186/195

Largest cities by population

Afghanistan
City	Population
Kabul	5.33M
Kandahar	614K
Herat	556K
Mazar-i-Sharif	469K
Kunduz	357K
Jalalabad	263K
Lashkargah	202K
Sheberghan	176K
Khost	160K
Ghazni	143K

Afghanistan population statistics

	Afghanistan	World
Life expectancy	66.8 years	73.8 years
Average age	22.1 years	33.8 years
Median age	18.2 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.5:49.5	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	4.84 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	179 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Afghanistan.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/afghanistan | CC BY