Population growth in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Population growth was 2.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Afghanistan, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Afghanistan is 2.8%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Afghanistan peaked at 11.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, -9.8%, in 1981.
That places Afghanistan 20th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 0.3% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.4% | -9.8% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.2% | 1.4% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 0.8% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.5% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.4% | 3.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More climate change data for Afghanistan
- Population, total 43.84 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.7% (2025)
- Urban population 11.37 million (2025)
- Urban population 25.9% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 11.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 20.28 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 43.0% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 3.6% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 3.6% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 1.7 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Afghanistan?
- Population growth in Afghanistan was 2.8% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -9.8% in 1981.
- How does Afghanistan rank for population growth?
- Afghanistan ranks 20th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.