Afghanistan
- Capital:
- Kabul
- Continent:
- Asia
- Region(s):
- South Central Asia, Southern Asia
- Abbreviation:
- AFG
45,047,069
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
45,047,069
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
Afghanistan's population is projected to be 128,305,496 by 2097.
Historical
Switch the toggle to see projected data.
| Year ↓ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45,047,069 | 2.4% | 36 |
| 2025 | 43,844,111 | 2.33% | 36 |
| 2020 | 39,068,979 | 3.2% | 37 |
| 2019 | 37,856,121 | 3.03% | 38 |
| 2018 | 36,743,039 | 2.95% | 39 |
| 2017 | 35,688,935 | 2.85% | 39 |
| 2015 | 33,831,764 | 3.65% | 40 |
| 2010 | 28,284,089 | 3% | 44 |
| 2005 | 24,404,567 | 3.93% | 45 |
| 2000 | 20,130,327 | 3.36% | 48 |
| Year ↑ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45,047,069 | 2.4% | 36 |
| 2032 | 52,707,848 | 2.65% | 32 |
| 2037 | 59,279,044 | 2.38% | 28 |
| 2042 | 66,060,220 | 2.19% | 28 |
| 2047 | 72,756,311 | 1.95% | 26 |
| 2052 | 79,457,286 | 1.78% | 24 |
| 2057 | 86,393,649 | 1.69% | 23 |
| 2062 | 92,931,629 | 1.47% | 23 |
| 2067 | 99,577,253 | 1.39% | 20 |
| 2072 | 105,836,162 | 1.23% | 19 |
98K
100K
250K
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750K
1M
2.5M
4.9M
Kabul has a metropolitan area population of 4,929,104, comprising 10.94%% of Afghanistan's total population.
| Rank | City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | % of National Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kabul | 4,929,104 | 10.94% |
| 2 | Herat | 635,501 | 1.41% |
| 3 | Kandahar | 571,355 | 1.27% |
| 4 | Mazar-e Sharif | 538,666 | 1.2% |
| 5 | Jalalabad | 302,936 | 0.67% |
| 6 | Kunduz | 208,451 | 0.46% |
| 7 | Pul-e Khumri | 137,111 | 0.3% |
| 8 | Sheberghan | 104,466 | 0.23% |
| 9 | Meymaneh | 104,197 | 0.23% |
| 10 | Lashkargah | 98,301 | 0.22% |
As of 2026, Afghanistan has a total population of 45,047,069, ranking as the 36th most populous nation in the world.
Afghanistan has a net population change of approximately 3,336 people per day, driven by 4,164 births, 680 deaths, and net emigration of 148 people.
Afghanistan represents 0.56% of the total global population and 0.9% of Asia's population.
Afghanistan has a population density of 69.0 people per km² (approximately 178.7 per mi²), making it the 145th most densely populated country in the world.
Currently, 19.5% of the population resides in urban areas, a figure that is increasing annually.
*Rates last updated: June 16, 2026
As of 2026, the largest ethnicity in Afghanistan is Pashtun (42%) , followed by Tajik (27%) .
As of 2026, Muslim is the largest religion in Afghanistan, comprising 99.7% of the population.