Urban and rural population in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Urban and rural population was 11.37 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
11.37 million
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
60th
of 236 countries
All-time high
11.37 million
in 2025
All-time low
449,463
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Urban and rural population in Afghanistan, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, urban and rural population in Afghanistan stood at 11.37 million. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.8% on the previous year and up 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population in Afghanistan peaked at 11.37 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 449,463, in 1950.
That places Afghanistan 60th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban and rural population in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 449,463 | — |
| 1951 | 468,090 | +4.1% |
| 1952 | 489,460 | +4.6% |
| 1953 | 513,084 | +4.8% |
| 1954 | 538,857 | +5.0% |
| 1955 | 566,921 | +5.2% |
| 1956 | 597,110 | +5.3% |
| 1957 | 629,099 | +5.4% |
| 1958 | 662,217 | +5.3% |
| 1959 | 696,928 | +5.2% |
| 1960 | 733,876 | +5.3% |
| 1961 | 773,024 | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 814,672 | +5.4% |
| 1963 | 858,901 | +5.4% |
| 1964 | 905,973 | +5.5% |
| 1965 | 956,366 | +5.6% |
| 1966 | 1.01 million | +5.6% |
| 1967 | 1.07 million | +5.7% |
| 1968 | 1.13 million | +5.8% |
| 1969 | 1.20 million | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 1.27 million | +6.1% |
| 1971 | 1.35 million | +6.4% |
| 1972 | 1.44 million | +6.8% |
| 1973 | 1.54 million | +7.0% |
| 1974 | 1.65 million | +6.9% |
| 1975 | 1.76 million | +6.6% |
| 1976 | 1.86 million | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 1.97 million | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 2.06 million | +4.7% |
| 1979 | 2.11 million | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 2.07 million | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 1.90 million | -8.1% |
| 1982 | 1.77 million | -6.7% |
| 1983 | 1.78 million | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 1.84 million | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 1.90 million | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 1.91 million | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 1.92 million | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 1.96 million | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 2.04 million | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 2.08 million | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 2.13 million | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 2.32 million | +9.2% |
| 1993 | 2.63 million | +13.3% |
| 1994 | 2.88 million | +9.5% |
| 1995 | 3.04 million | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 3.19 million | +4.8% |
| 1997 | 3.34 million | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 3.49 million | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 3.66 million | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 3.74 million | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 3.80 million | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 4.05 million | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 4.36 million | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 4.57 million | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 4.81 million | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 5.11 million | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 5.34 million | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 5.59 million | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 5.96 million | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 6.30 million | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 6.70 million | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 7.13 million | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 7.53 million | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 7.93 million | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 8.28 million | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 8.56 million | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 8.86 million | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 9.19 million | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 9.52 million | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 9.87 million | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 10.14 million | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 10.30 million | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 10.56 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 10.96 million | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 11.37 million | +3.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 11.37 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 6.96 million, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 11.37 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.75 million, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 561,123 | 449,463 | 696,928 | 10 |
| 1960s | 944,467 | 733,876 | 1.20 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.70 million | 1.27 million | 2.11 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.91 million | 1.77 million | 2.07 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.88 million | 2.08 million | 3.66 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.73 million | 3.74 million | 5.96 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.00 million | 6.30 million | 9.52 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.53 million | 9.87 million | 11.37 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 57 Mozambique 13.26 million compare
- 58 Kazakhstan 13.00 million compare
- 59 Ecuador 11.59 million compare
- 61 Somalia 10.84 million compare
- 62 Madagascar 10.77 million compare
- 63 Jordan 10.74 million compare
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)
- Population growth rate 0.424 (2100)
- Population density 199.65 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 9.03 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population in Afghanistan?
- Urban and rural population in Afghanistan was 11.37 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban and rural population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 11.37 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 449,463 in 1950.
- How does Afghanistan rank for urban and rural population?
- Afghanistan ranks 60th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban and rural population rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).