Population of Afghanistan

As of May 2026, the population of Afghanistan is 45.5 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 1 million in the last year, representing a growth of 2.59%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 15.8 years in 2016 to 17.6 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 65.6 years and population density is 70.3 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Afghanistan peaked in 1992, reaching around 18.48% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.54% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 2.22 million in 1992 to nearly 1.16 million in 2026.

Life Expectancy

In Afghanistan, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 58.7 years in 2006 to 65.6 years in 2026, representing an increase of almost 7 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Afghanistan

The cities of Afghanistan are mostly small, but 10 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Kabul, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 4.4 million inhabitants. It is followed by Herāt, Herat with 574.3 thousand and Mazār-e Sharīf, Balkh with 523.3 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Afghanistan: