Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 9,131 thousands in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
9,131 thousands
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
24th
of 233 countries
All-time high
9,131 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
2,042 thousands
in 1983
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 15-24 years in Afghanistan, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 15-24 years in Afghanistan stood at 9,131 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in Afghanistan peaked at 9,131 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,042 thousands, in 1983.
Afghanistan ranks 24th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,085 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 2,125 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 2,164 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 2,208 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 2,260 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 2,315 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 2,376 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 2,432 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 2,491 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 2,544 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 2,521 thousands | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 2,377 thousands | -5.7% |
| 1982 | 2,077 thousands | -12.6% |
| 1983 | 2,042 thousands | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 2,069 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 2,169 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 2,187 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 2,193 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 2,198 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 2,266 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 2,350 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 2,343 thousands | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 2,429 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 2,744 thousands | +12.9% |
| 1994 | 3,062 thousands | +11.6% |
| 1995 | 3,223 thousands | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 3,341 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 3,447 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 3,549 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 3,655 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 3,762 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 3,697 thousands | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 3,791 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 4,094 thousands | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 4,304 thousands | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 4,436 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 4,675 thousands | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 4,902 thousands | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 4,981 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 5,276 thousands | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 5,537 thousands | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 5,782 thousands | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 6,141 thousands | +6.2% |
| 2013 | 6,446 thousands | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 6,742 thousands | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 7,087 thousands | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 7,322 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 7,577 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 7,831 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 8,074 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 8,315 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 8,574 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 8,669 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 8,741 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 8,941 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 9,131 thousands | +2.1% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 9,131 thousands is above the median for low income countries, which is 4,765 thousands, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 9,131 thousands is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1,698 thousands, 5.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,300 thousands | 2,085 thousands | 2,544 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,210 thousands | 2,042 thousands | 2,521 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,014 thousands | 2,343 thousands | 3,655 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,392 thousands | 3,697 thousands | 5,276 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,854 thousands | 5,537 thousands | 8,074 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,728 thousands | 8,315 thousands | 9,131 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 15-24 years in Afghanistan?
- Population aged 15-24 years in Afghanistan was 9,131 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 9,131 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,042 thousands in 1983.
- How does Afghanistan rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- Afghanistan ranks 24th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release