Home

Afghanistan vs. Tajikistan

Demographics

AfghanistanTajikistan
Population37,466,414 (July 2021 est.)8,990,874 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 40.62% (male 7,562,703/female 7,321,646)

15-24 years: 21.26% (male 3,960,044/female 3,828,670)

25-54 years: 31.44% (male 5,858,675/female 5,661,887)

55-64 years: 4.01% (male 724,597/female 744,910)

65 years and over: 2.68% (male 451,852/female 528,831) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 31.43% (male 1,420,271/female 1,368,445)

15-24 years: 18.13% (male 816,658/female 792,231)

25-54 years: 40.58% (male 1,789,271/female 1,811,566)

55-64 years: 6.23% (male 253,862/female 299,378)

65 years and over: 3.63% (male 132,831/female 189,156) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 19.5 years

male: 19.4 years

female: 19.5 years (2020 est.)
total: 25.3 years

male: 24.6 years

female: 26 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate2.34% (2021 est.)1.44% (2021 est.)
Birth rate36.08 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)21.22 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate12.57 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 106.75 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 115.21 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 97.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 33.05 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 37.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 28.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 53.25 years

male: 51.73 years

female: 54.85 years (2021 est.)
total population: 69.06 years

male: 65.91 years

female: 72.38 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate4.72 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate<.1% (2020 est.)0.2% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Afghan(s)

adjective: Afghan
noun: Tajikistani(s)

adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groupsPashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz) (2015)

note: current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai
Tajik 84.3% (includes Pamiri and Yagnobi), Uzbek 13.8%, other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS12,000 (2020 est.)14,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsMuslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other 0.3% (2009 est.)Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<1,000 (2020 est.)<500 (2020 est.)
LanguagesAfghan Persian or Dari (official) 78% (Dari functions as the lingua franca), Pashto (official) 50%, Uzbek 10%, English 5%, Turkmen 2%, Urdu 2%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2017 est.)

major-language sample(s):

???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ????? (Dari)

? ???? ? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ????? ????? ??????- (Pashto)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note 1: data represent most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language

note 2: the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them

Tajik (official) 84.4%, Uzbek 11.9%, Kyrgyz 0.8%, Russian 0.5%, other 2.4% (2010 est.)

major-language sample(s):
?????? ??????? ??????, ?????? ???????? ????????? ????? (Tajik)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note: Russian widely used in government and business
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 43%

male: 55.5%

female: 29.8% (2018)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.8%

male: 99.8%

female: 99.7% (2015)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria
degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 10 years

male: 13 years

female: 8 years (2018)
total: 11 years

male: 12 years

female: 11 years (2013)
Education expenditures4.1% of GDP (2017)5.2% of GDP (2015)
Urbanizationurban population: 26.3% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 27.7% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 95.9% of population

rural: 61.4% of population

total: 70.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.2% of population

rural: 38.6% of population

total: 38.6% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 96.2% of population

rural: 78.6% of population

total: 83.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population

rural: 21.4% of population

total: 16.5% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 83.6% of population

rural: 43% of population

total: 53.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 16.4% of population

rural: 57% of population

total: 46.8% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 99.7% of population

rural: 99.3% of population

total: 99.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population

rural: 0.7% of population

total: 2% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population4.336 million KABUL (capital) (2021)938,000 DUSHANBE (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality rate638 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)17 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight19.1% (2018)7.6% (2017)
Health expenditures9.4% (2018)7.2% (2018)
Physicians density0.28 physicians/1,000 population (2016)2.1 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)4.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate5.5% (2016)14.2% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth19.9 years (2015 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
21.9 years (2017 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Contraceptive prevalence rate18.9% (2018)

note:  percent of women aged 12-49
29.3% (2017)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 88.8

youth dependency ratio: 75.3

elderly dependency ratio: 4.8

potential support ratio: 21 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 67.9

youth dependency ratio: 62.6

elderly dependency ratio: 5.3

potential support ratio: 18.7 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook