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Afghanistan
A rugged, mountainous landlocked nation at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, Afghanistan has been shaped by millennia of trade routes and conflict. The capital Kabul sits in a high valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains. Known for its dramatic landscapes, tribal diversity, and rich cultural heritage including ancient Buddhist sites at Bamiyan.
Major cities: Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif
2024
42.6M
UN
2050
76.9M
UN
2100
130.2M
UN
~2200
131.0M
GPU
~2500
31.0M
GPU
Population42.6M
Fertility (TFR)4.76
Life expectancy66.3
Median age16.9
Infant mortality50.4 per 1,000
Pop. density64/km²
Urbanization25%
Youth share (0-14)43%
Land area652,230 km²
LanguageDari Persian
ReligionMuslim
HDI0.496 (#181)
RegionAsia
Latest available year is shown in parentheses where the source series varies across indicators. Governance metrics use World Bank percentile ranks; battle deaths and military spending are context variables, not direct fertility drivers.
UN WPP 2024 — verified data through 2100
| Year | Population | TFR | Life Exp. | CBR | CDR | Net Migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7.78M | 7.25 | 28.2 | 49.4 | 37.4 | +6K | 1.2% |
| 1955 | 8.33M | 7.26 | 30.4 | 50.2 | 34.4 | -7K | 1.6% |
| 1960 | 9.04M | 7.28 | 32.8 | 50.5 | 31.7 | +3K | 1.9% |
| 1965 | 10.0M | 7.31 | 35.1 | 50.9 | 29.2 | +11K | 2.2% |
| 1970 | 11.3M | 7.40 | 37.5 | 51.2 | 26.8 | +4K | 2.4% |
| 1975 | 12.8M | 7.54 | 40.0 | 51.3 | 24.4 | -44K | 2.7% |
| 1980 | 13.2M | 7.64 | 39.3 | 53.5 | 25.7 | -1,174K | 2.8% |
| 1985 | 11.4M | 7.55 | 32.1 | 51.7 | 31.7 | -209K | 2.0% |
| 1990 | 12.0M | 7.58 | 45.1 | 52.9 | 19.5 | -459K | 3.3% |
| 1995 | 17.1M | 7.77 | 52.1 | 52.7 | 14.4 | +53K | 3.8% |
| 2000 | 20.1M | 7.57 | 55.0 | 51.5 | 12.6 | -1,026K | 3.9% |
| 2005 | 24.4M | 6.86 | 58.2 | 45.0 | 9.9 | +251K | 3.5% |
| 2010 | 28.3M | 6.20 | 60.7 | 41.8 | 8.4 | -167K | 3.3% |
| 2015 | 33.8M | 5.65 | 62.3 | 39.4 | 7.5 | -286K | 3.2% |
| 2020 | 39.1M | 5.15 | 61.5 | 36.6 | 7.6 | +144K | 2.9% |
| 2024Now | 42.6M | 4.76 | 66.3 | 35.0 | 5.7 | -44K | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 43.8M | 4.66 | 66.5 | 34.4 | 5.6 | -74K | 2.9% |
| 2030 | 50.0M | 4.22 | 67.6 | 31.5 | 5.2 | +20K | 2.6% |
| 2035 | 56.6M | 3.89 | 68.6 | 29.2 | 5.0 | -80K | 2.4% |
| 2040 | 63.3M | 3.56 | 69.4 | 26.8 | 4.9 | +33K | 2.2% |
| 2045 | 70.0M | 3.30 | 70.2 | 25.0 | 5.0 | -77K | 2.0% |
| 2050 | 76.9M | 3.09 | 70.9 | 23.6 | 5.1 | -124K | 1.8% |
| 2055 | 83.6M | 2.91 | 71.6 | 22.1 | 5.3 | -18K | 1.7% |
| 2060 | 90.4M | 2.76 | 72.3 | 20.9 | 5.6 | -86K | 1.5% |
| 2065 | 97.0M | 2.63 | 73.0 | 19.6 | 5.9 | +52K | 1.4% |
| 2070 | 103M | 2.51 | 73.6 | 18.5 | 6.3 | +66K | 1.2% |
| 2075 | 109M | 2.40 | 74.2 | 17.5 | 6.8 | -138K | 1.1% |
| 2080 | 115M | 2.31 | 74.8 | 16.6 | 7.3 | -33K | 0.9% |
| 2085 | 119M | 2.24 | 75.5 | 15.8 | 7.7 | -81K | 0.8% |
| 2090 | 123M | 2.17 | 76.1 | 15.1 | 8.1 | -0K | 0.7% |
| 2095 | 127M | 2.11 | 76.7 | 14.5 | 8.5 | -90K | 0.6% |
| 2100 | 130M | 2.06 | 77.3 | 13.9 | 8.9 | -99K | 0.5% |