Population of Afghanistan
As of April 2025, the population of Afghanistan is 44.2 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 1 million in the last year, representing a growth of 2.63%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 15.7 years in 2015 to 17.4 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 65.4 years and population density is 68.6 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 2.57% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 2.22 million in 1992 to nearly 1.15 million in 2025.
Life Expectancy
In Afghanistan, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 58.4 years in 2005 to 65.4 years in 2025, representing an increase de 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 Kandahār, Kandahar with 523.3 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Afghanistan:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kabul | 4,434,550 |
| 2 | Herāt, Herat | 574,300 |
| 3 | Kandahār, Kandahar | 523,300 |
| 4 | Mazār-e Sharīf, Balkh | 523,300 |
| 5 | Jalālābād, Nangarhar | 271,900 |
| 6 | Kunduz | 161,902 |
| 7 | Ghazni | 141,000 |
| 8 | Balkh | 114,883 |
| 9 | Baghlān, Baghlan | 108,449 |
| 10 | Gardez, Paktia | 103,601 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Khōst, Khowst | 96,123 |
| 12 | Maymana, Faryab | 75,900 |
| 13 | Khanabad, Kunduz | 71,531 |
| 14 | Bāzār-e Yakāwlang, Bamyan | 65,000 |
| 15 | Bāzārak, Panjshir | 65,000 |
| 16 | Khulm, Balkh | 64,933 |
| 17 | Taloqan, Takhar | 64,256 |
| 18 | Bāmyān, Bamyan | 61,863 |
| 19 | Pul-e Khumrī, Baghlan | 56,369 |
| 20 | Shibirghān, Jowzjan | 55,641 |