Annual change in population in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Annual change in population was 875,915 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Annual change in population in Afghanistan, 1951–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, annual change in population in Afghanistan stood at 875,915 people.
That represents a change of up 51.4% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in population in Afghanistan peaked at 1.66 million people in 1993 and was at its lowest, -1.23 million people, in 1981.
That places Afghanistan 22nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 121,454 people | 103,163 people | 145,858 people | 9 |
| 1960s | 214,815 people | 165,778 people | 260,493 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 263,816 people | 44,131 people | 311,127 people | 10 |
| 1980s | -178,149 people | -1.23 million people | 350,790 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 801,369 people | 171,575 people | 1.66 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 757,830 people | 153,969 people | 1.35 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.04 million people | 817,986 people | 1.21 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 899,659 people | 578,437 people | 1.21 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More population data for Afghanistan
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 199.65 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 9.03 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.4% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 4.76 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 4.76 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 20,866 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 4.76 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 4.84 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 4.47 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change in population in Afghanistan?
- Annual change in population in Afghanistan was 875,915 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change in population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.66 million people in 1993.
- What is the lowest annual change in population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.23 million people in 1981.
- How does Afghanistan rank for annual change in population?
- Afghanistan ranks 22nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual change in population rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual change in population, calculated as the difference between population on 1 July of consecutive years.