Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Share of population living in rural areas was 15.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 15.6% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan peaked at 49.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2020.
That places Afghanistan 178th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.5% | — |
| 1955 | 47.8% | -3.4% |
| 1960 | 45.8% | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 43.2% | -5.7% |
| 1970 | 40.3% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 37.3% | -7.4% |
| 1980 | 37.0% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 39.7% | +7.3% |
| 1990 | 37.9% | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 32.0% | -15.6% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | -12.4% |
| 2005 | 24.4% | -13.1% |
| 2010 | 21.6% | -11.3% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | -16.3% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | -13.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.6% | 47.8% | 49.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.5% | 43.2% | 45.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 38.8% | 37.3% | 40.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.4% | 37.0% | 39.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 35.0% | 32.0% | 37.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.2% | 24.4% | 28.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 18.1% | 21.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 1 |
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 share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan was 15.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 49.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2020.
- How does Afghanistan rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Afghanistan ranks 178th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.