| Population | 30,419,928 (July 2012 est.)
note: this is a significantly revised figure; the previous estimate of 33,609,937 was extrapolated from the last Afghan census held in 1979, which was never completed because of the Soviet invasion |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 43.2% (male 6,671,683/female 6,460,034)
15-24 years: 21.6% (male 3,357,679/female 3,226,394)
25-54 years: 28.9% (male 4,487,547/female 4,306,297)
55-64 years: 3.8% (male 569,490/female 588,925)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 350,692/female 401,187) (2012 est.) |
| Median age | total: 17.9 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 17.9 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.22% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate | 39.3 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate | 14.59 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 23% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 4.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
| Major cities - population | KABUL (capital) 3.573 million (2009) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 121.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 129.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 113.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 49.72 years
male: 48.45 years
female: 51.05 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 5.64 children born/woman (2012 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.01% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA |
| Drinking water source | Improved:
urban: 78% of population
rural: 39% of population
total: 48% of population
Unimproved:
urban: 22% of population
rural: 61% of population
total: 52% of population (2008) |
| Sanitation facility access | Improved:
urban: 60% of population
rural: 30% of population
total: 37% of population
Unimproved:
urban: 40% of population
rural: 70% of population
total: 63% of population |
| Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009) |
| Nationality | noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan |
| Ethnic groups | Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% |
| Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1% |
| Languages | Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism, but Dari functions as the lingua franca
note: the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 9 years
male: 11 years
female: 7 years (2009) |
| Education expenditures | NA |
| Maternal mortality rate | 460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 32.9% (2004) |
| Health expenditures | 7.4% of GDP (2009) |
| Physicians density | 0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2009) |
| Hospital bed density | 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2009) |
