Afghanistan

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan·Low income

Population: 41.5M; 36th of 217
GDP: $17.2B; 138th of 214 · 2023
GDP per capita: $414; 213th of 214 · 2023
Life expectancy: 66; 184th of 217
Human development: 0.478; 178th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Afghanistan

Yemen, Republic of

Syrian Arab Republic

Pakistan

West Bank and Gaza

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

low-income South Asian economy; economy stable after major contraction due to Taliban takeover, but recovery remains fragile; widespread poverty and obstacles to human development; import-reliant for food, fuel, and machinery; ongoing sanctions, suspended development aid, and frozen reserve assets

Area: 652,230 km²
Resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron…
Borders: China; Iran; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Muslim99.9%

Religious diversity: 0.0322 / 10 · very low · 192nd of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

AFG

YEM

SYR

PAK

GDP

current US$

$17.2B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$20.6M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

46.1%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

34.7%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

13.5%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Population

people

41.5M–––

Population density

people per km²

62.2–––

Urban population

% of total

26.9%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4.8–––

Net migration

people

-44.1K–––

Population under 15

% of total

42.9%–––

Population 65+

% of total

2.4%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

23.1%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

4.3%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

990.5–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

23.4–––

Electricity generation

TWh

1–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

0.0322–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

1.8%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#138/214

$17.2B2023

GDP per capita

current US$

#213/214

$4142023

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#192/203

$2,202latest

GDP growth

annual %

#140/214

2.3%2023

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#206/207

$3702023

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#77/213

2.9%2023

FDI inflows

current US$

#168/201

$20.6M2021

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#130/205

46.1%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#6/206

34.7%2023

Industry value added

% of GDP

#171/208

13.5%2023

Unemployment

% of labor force

#168/187

14%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#158/165

$1,3582022

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#36/217

41.5Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#142/216

62.2latest

Urban population

% of total

#194/215

26.9%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#184/217

66latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#9/217

4.8latest

Net migration

people

#196/217

-44.1K2024

Population under 15

% of total

#11/217

42.9%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#210/217

2.4%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#185/196

50.4latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#173/196

55.5latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#1/192

23.1%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#153/195

0.3latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#156/160

37%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#88/199

4.3%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#158/194

10.9%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#118/139

30%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#201/210

17.7%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#197/214

55.52023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#194/208

0.12023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#186/215

41.12024

Access to electricity

% of population

#166/215

85.3%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#179/198

990.52023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#200/202

23.42023

Electricity generation

TWh

#157/202

12023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#29/202

86.6%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#32/202

13.4%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#98/204

10.82024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#20/204

0.32024

Share of global CO₂

#108/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#5/193

12023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#87/210

0.2%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#58/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#46/210

0.2%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#36/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#55/210

0.5152024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#172/175

0.0692025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#172/175

0.0182025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#174/175

0.0412025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#135/175

0.7692025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#162/175

0.0862025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#148/178

242022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#167/193

-1.182022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#189/193

-1.882022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#182/193

-1.662022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#192/193

-2.552022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#175/175

0.0282025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#98/126

3322025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#106/126

3062025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#101/126

262025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#192/193

0.03222020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#186/193

0%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#178/189

0.4782021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#167/170

0.6782021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#164/164

1.452025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#158/158

3.452023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#67/161

1.8%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.