The current population of Afghanistan is 44,755,656 as of Tuesday, April 14, 2026, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data¹.
Afghanistan 2026 population is estimated at 45,047,069 people at mid-year.
Afghanistan population is equivalent to 0.54% of the total world population.
Afghanistan ranks number 36 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in Afghanistan is 69 per Km² (179 people per mi²).
The total land area is 652,860 Km² (252,071 sq. miles).
26.86% of the population is urban (12,100,876 people in 2026)
The median age in Afghanistan is 17.4 years.

1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Afghanistan (2026 and historical)

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Afghanistan Global Rank
2026	45,047,069	2.74%	1,202,958	−53,884	17.4	4.56	69	26.9%	12,100,876	0.54%	8,300,678,395	36
2025	43,844,111	2.81%	1,196,619	−74,404	17.3	4.66	67	26.7%	11,704,638	0.53%	8,231,613,070	36
2024	42,647,492	2.88%	1,192,731	−44,089	17.1	4.76	65	26.5%	11,320,521	0.52%	8,161,972,572	36
2023	41,454,761	2.16%	875,919	−48,958	16.9	4.84	63	26.4%	10,948,055	0.51%	8,091,734,930	36
2022	40,578,842	1.91%	754,932	−647,402	16.8	4.93	62	26.1%	10,587,583	0.51%	8,021,407,192	37
2020	39,068,979	2.92%	1,047,443	143,634	16.4	5.14	60	25.4%	9,904,337	0.50%	7,887,001,292	37
2015	33,831,764	3.65%	1,109,535	−286,314	15.5	5.65	52	24.7%	8,367,571	0.45%	7,470,491,872	40
2010	28,284,089	2.99%	775,904	−167,460	14.6	6.2	43	24.2%	6,836,980	0.40%	7,021,732,148	44
2005	24,404,567	3.93%	854,848	250,971	14	6.86	37	23.3%	5,691,836	0.37%	6,586,970,132	45
2000	20,130,327	3.36%	612,898	−1,025,973	14	7.57	31	22%	4,436,282	0.33%	6,171,702,993	48
1995	17,065,836	7.22%	1,004,035	52,505	14.6	7.77	26	21.7%	3,697,570	0.30%	5,758,878,982	51
1990	12,045,660	1.06%	123,762	−458,737	15	7.58	18	21.5%	2,593,947	0.23%	5,327,803,110	59
1985	11,426,852	−2.8%	−348,492	−208,685	15.3	7.55	18	19.6%	2,238,468	0.23%	4,868,943,465	56
1980	13,169,311	0.61%	79,071	−1,174,239	15.8	7.64	20	16.1%	2,119,078	0.30%	4,447,606,236	51
1975	12,773,954	2.5%	296,765	−44,418	16.4	7.54	20	13.4%	1,717,422	0.31%	4,070,735,277	49
1970	11,290,128	2.38%	250,824	4,458	17	7.4	17	11.5%	1,295,433	0.31%	3,694,683,794	49
1965	10,036,008	2.12%	200,193	10,695	17.5	7.3	15	9.8%	984,350	0.30%	3,334,533,703	46
1960	9,035,043	1.65%	141,613	2,606	17.9	7.28	14	8.4%	755,797	0.30%	3,015,470,894	48
1955	8,326,979	1.38%	110,161	−7,263	18.2	7.26	13	7.1%	587,818	0.30%	2,740,213,792	48

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Afghanistan Population Forecast

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Afghanistan Global Rank
2030	50,039,402	2.68%	1,239,058	20,392	18.2	4.22	77	27.6%	13,817,897	0.58%	8,569,124,911	34
2035	56,647,232	2.51%	1,321,566	−79,582	19.3	3.89	87	28.7%	16,279,334	0.64%	8,885,210,181	31
2040	63,347,870	2.26%	1,340,128	33,259	20.5	3.56	97	30.2%	19,103,637	0.69%	9,177,190,203	28
2045	70,021,200	2.02%	1,334,666	−76,758	21.7	3.3	107	31.7%	22,228,097	0.74%	9,439,639,668	26
2050	76,885,135	1.89%	1,372,787	−123,627	23	3.09	118	33.2%	25,498,515	0.80%	9,664,378,587	25

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Afghanistan Demographics (2026)

Main Page: Demographics of Afghanistan

Life Expectancy

66.8 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality Rate

40.0

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Deaths under age 5

51.2

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Afghanistan

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank	Urban Area	Population Estimate (2025)
1	Kābul (Kabul)	5,635,737
2	Herat	1,259,425
3	Kandahar	799,015
4	Mazar i sharif	651,287
5	Jalalabad	587,508
6	Taloqan	290,028
7	Kunduz	287,295
8	Maymana	229,355
9	Puli Khumri	228,271
10	Charikar	227,054
11	Shindand	213,596
12	Firozkoh	204,753
13	Fayzabad	195,148
14	Toraghundi	190,543
15	Lashkar Gah	188,936
16	Khost	188,579
17	Sheberghan	181,348
18	Guzarah	176,657
19	Mihtarlam	162,346
20	Nao Deh	160,058
21	Girishk	148,717
22	Farah	145,299
23	Samangan	137,944
24	Andkhoy	135,875
25	Bai Ghesi	133,028
26	Sar-e Pol	129,350
27	Koh-i-Sayad	128,109
28	Qala i Naw	121,540
29	Ghurian	121,509
30	Bagram	120,031
31	Lal	117,617
32	Golbahar	116,780
33	Rustaq	112,870
34	Qeysar	112,398
35	Chayab	109,442
36	Baghlan	109,385
37	Ghazni	109,080
38	Bamian	108,111
39	Tarinkot	106,741
40	Qarabagh	102,421
41	Sange Shanda	100,828
42	Bandabad	98,577
43	Kishim	98,217
44	خان آباد	96,371
45	Imam Sahib	95,933
46	Muslem Abad	95,726
47	Qurbagheh Khaneh	90,542
48	Tulak	83,115
49	Orlamish	81,219
50	Baraki Rijan	78,100
51	Jabal us Saraj	77,917
52	Pol-E-Charkhi	77,526
53	Mahmud-e Raqi	76,842
54	Nejrab	76,601
55	Pasab	76,047
56	Shinkot	75,860
57	Bed-i-Kalan	75,662
58	Kaza	74,779
59	Siyahgird	73,267
60	Qal`ah-ye Sang-e Takht	69,774
61	Darzab	68,812
62	Bala Murghab	67,539
63	Nahrin	66,953
64	Zaranj	65,164
65	Qarabāg	64,105
66	Muḩammad Khwājah	62,560
67	Shahrak	61,929
68	Deh Rawud	60,201
69	Tukzar	59,745
70	Bomay	59,407

More info

Notes

The Afghanistan Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Afghanistan delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Afghanistan (1950 - 2026) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2026.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2026. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2026: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2026: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Afghanistan in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Afghanistan Population (LIVE)