Birth rate in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Birth rate was 35.44 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
35.44 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
9th
of 236 countries
All-time high
55.19 births per 1,000 people
in 1981
All-time low
35.44 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Afghanistan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 35.44 births per 1,000 people for birth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Afghanistan peaked at 55.19 births per 1,000 people in 1981 and was at its lowest, 35.44 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
Afghanistan ranks 9th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.38 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 49.62 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1952 | 49.78 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 49.98 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 50 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 50.16 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1956 | 50.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 50.31 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 50.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 50.46 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 50.52 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 50.57 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 50.67 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 50.79 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 50.85 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 50.89 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 51.02 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 51.11 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 51.21 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 51.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 51.21 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 51.3 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 51.24 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 51.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 51.37 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 51.32 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 51.33 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 51.33 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 51.29 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 52.03 births per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 53.45 births per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 55.19 births per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 51.97 births per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 1983 | 51.17 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 50.35 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 51.69 births per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 52.2 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 52.22 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 51.71 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 51.68 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 52.89 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 52.28 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 50.31 births per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 50.83 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 52.41 births per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 52.68 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 52.49 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 52.12 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 51.46 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 50.95 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 51.49 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 49.62 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 47.49 births per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 47.06 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 46.49 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 44.95 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 44.09 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 43.83 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 42.54 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 42.16 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 41.76 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 40.97 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 40.7 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 40.29 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 39.65 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 39.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 38.73 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 38.17 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 37.62 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 37.14 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 36.6 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 36.34 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 36.05 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 35.44 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 35.44 births per 1,000 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 32.09 births per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 35.44 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 17.02 births per 1,000 people, 2.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.04 births per 1,000 people | 49.38 births per 1,000 people | 50.46 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 50.89 births per 1,000 people | 50.52 births per 1,000 people | 51.28 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 51.37 births per 1,000 people | 51.21 births per 1,000 people | 52.03 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.16 births per 1,000 people | 50.35 births per 1,000 people | 55.19 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.84 births per 1,000 people | 50.31 births per 1,000 people | 52.89 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.97 births per 1,000 people | 42.16 births per 1,000 people | 51.49 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.44 births per 1,000 people | 37.14 births per 1,000 people | 41.76 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.11 births per 1,000 people | 35.44 births per 1,000 people | 36.6 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More population data for Afghanistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2412 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2115 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 74,075 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2522 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Afghanistan?
- Birth rate in Afghanistan was 35.44 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 55.19 births per 1,000 people in 1981.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.44 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Afghanistan rank for birth rate?
- Afghanistan ranks 9th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.