Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 25.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
25.9%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
220th
of 236 countries
All-time high
25.9%
in 2025
All-time low
5.8%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Afghanistan, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Afghanistan is 25.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Afghanistan peaked at 25.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1950.
Afghanistan ranks 220th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.8% | — |
| 1951 | 5.9% | +2.8% |
| 1952 | 6.1% | +3.1% |
| 1953 | 6.3% | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 6.6% | +3.6% |
| 1955 | 6.8% | +3.7% |
| 1956 | 7.1% | +3.7% |
| 1957 | 7.3% | +3.7% |
| 1958 | 7.6% | +3.6% |
| 1959 | 7.9% | +3.5% |
| 1960 | 8.1% | +3.4% |
| 1961 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 1962 | 8.7% | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 8.9% | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 9.2% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 10.2% | +3.3% |
| 1968 | 10.5% | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 10.8% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 11.2% | +3.5% |
| 1971 | 11.7% | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 12.2% | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 12.7% | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 13.2% | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 13.8% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 14.3% | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 14.7% | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 15.1% | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 15.4% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 15.7% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 16.3% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 16.6% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 16.8% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 16.9% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 17.0% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 17.3% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 17.4% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 17.5% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 17.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 18.0% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 18.4% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 18.7% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 19.2% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 20.1% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 20.6% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 21.1% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 23.3% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 23.8% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 24.2% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 24.8% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 25.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 25.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 25.3% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 25.3% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 25.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 25.5% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 25.7% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 25.9% | +0.9% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 25.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 75% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 25.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 79.5%, 33% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.7% | 5.8% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.4% | 8.1% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.5% | 15.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 17.3% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.8% | 18.6% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 22.3% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.5% | 25.3% | 25.9% | 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 share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Afghanistan?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Afghanistan was 25.9% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1950.
- How does Afghanistan rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Afghanistan ranks 220th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. 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).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.