Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants was 0.9% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.9%
World rank
53rd
of 144 countries
All-time high
9.2%
in 1990
All-time low
-6.2%
in 1995
Years of data
13
1960–2020

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan, 1960–2020

-505101960199020201960: 1.7 %1965: 1.1 %1970: 9.1 %1975: 1.5 %1980: 3.9 %1985: 4.2 %1990: 9.2 %1995: -6.2 %2000: -0.659 %2005: 0.352 %2010: 0.84 %2015: -0.981 %2020: 0.894 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan is 0.9%, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan peaked at 9.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, -6.2%, in 1995.

That places Afghanistan 53rd out of 144 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan, 1960 to 2020.
Year % Change
1960 1.7%
1965 1.1% -37.4%
1970 9.1% +744.2%
1975 1.5% -83.2%
1980 3.9% +156.4%
1985 4.2% +5.7%
1990 9.2% +121.5%
1995 -6.2% -167.6%
2000 -0.7% -89.4%
2005 0.4% -153.4%
2010 0.8% +138.8%
2015 -1.0% -216.8%
2020 0.9% -191.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.4% 1.1% 1.7% 2
1970s 5.3% 1.5% 9.1% 2
1980s 4.1% 3.9% 4.2% 2
1990s 1.5% -6.2% 9.2% 2
2000s -0.2% -0.7% 0.4% 2
2010s -0.1% -1.0% 0.8% 2
2020s 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 1

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 50 Lebanon 0.9% compare
  2. 51 North Korea 0.9% compare
  3. 52 Hong Kong 0.9% compare
  4. 54 Saudi Arabia 0.9% compare
  5. 55 Zambia 0.8% compare
  6. 56 Mauritania 0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More population data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan?
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan was 0.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 1990.
What is the lowest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was -6.2% in 1995.
How does Afghanistan rank for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants?
Afghanistan ranks 53rd out of 144 countries with data for 2020.
Is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/annual-rate-of-change-in-urban-populations/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
144 places, 1,685 data points, 1955–2020
Last refreshed

Average annual growth in the share of population living in cities with at least 300,000 people, calculated over five-year periods. For example, 2020 reflects average growth between 2015–2020. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.