View source for Demographics of Afghanistan

{{Short description|None}}
{{About|the population of the country of Afghanistan|ethnic groups|Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox place demographics
| place = [[Afghanistan]]
| image = Afghanistan single age population pyramid 2020.png
| image_size = 350px
| caption = Afghanistan [[population pyramid]] in 2020
| size_of_population = 41,454,761<ref name="WHO-AF">{{cite web |url=https://data.who.int/countries/004 |title=Afghanistan: WHO Global Health Observatory Data |website=World Health Organization |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> (2023)|birth=35.44/1000 (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?time=1950..latest&hideControls=false&Metric=Birth+rate&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~AFG |title=Birth Rate Explorer: Afghanistan |website=Our World in Data |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>|death=5.80/1000 (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?time=1950..latest&hideControls=false&Metric=Death+rate&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~AFG |title=Death Rate Explorer: Afghanistan |website=Our World in Data |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>|life= {{decrease}} 59.1 years at birth (2021)<ref name="WHO-AF" />|major_ethnic={{unbulleted list
| {{Tree list}}
* [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]]
* [[Tajiks|Tajik]]/[[Farsiwan]]
* [[Hazaras|Hazara]]
* [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]]
{{tree list/end}}
}}
|minor_ethnic= {{unbulleted list
| {{Tree list}}
* [[Afghan Turkmens|Turkmen]]
* [[Baloch people|Baloch]]
* [[Aimaq people|Aimaq]] 
* [[Nuristanis|Nuristani]]
* [[History of Arabs in Afghanistan|Arab]]
* [[Afghan Qizilbash|Qizilbash]]
* [[Pashayi people|Pashayi]]
* [[Sayyid]]/Sadat
* [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]
* [[Gujjars|Gujar]]
* [[Pamiri people|Pamiri]]
* [[Brahui people|Brahui]]
* Other
{{tree list/end}}
}}|fertility=4.84 children per woman (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?time=1950..latest&hideControls=false&Metric=Fertility+rate&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~AFG |title=Fertility Rate Explorer: Afghanistan |website=Our World in Data |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>|nation=Afghan|growth={{increase}} +2.85% (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?time=1950..latest&hideControls=false&Metric=Population+growth+rate&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~AFG |title=Population Growth Rate Explorer: Afghanistan |website=Our World in Data |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>|infant_mortality={{decreasePositive}} 44.0/1000 (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/population-and-demography?time=1950..latest&hideControls=false&Metric=Infant+mortality+rate&Sex=Both+sexes&Age+group=Total&Projection+Scenario=None&country=~AFG |title=Infant Mortality Rate Explorer: Afghanistan |website=Our World in Data |publisher=Global Change Data Lab |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>}}
[[File:Afghanistan Population 1950-2021 Forecast 2022-2032 UN World Population Prospects 2022.svg|thumb|350px|[[Population]], [[fertility rate]] and [[net reproduction rate]], United Nations estimates]]

As of 2025, [[Afghanistan]] has an estimated [[population]] of around 49.5 million people.<ref name="population clock: world">{{Cite web |title=Population Clock:World – Afghanistan |url=https://www.census.gov/popclock/world/af#world-footer}}</ref> The country is characterized by a highly diverse, [[Multinational state|multi-ethnic]], and [[Multilingualism|multilingual]] society, reflecting its historical position at the crossroads of [[Central Asia|Central]], [[South Asia|South]], and [[West Asia|Western Asia]], along ancient trade and invasion routes. The four major ethnic categories in the country are [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]], [[Tajiks|Tajik]]/[[Farsiwan]], [[Hazaras|Hazara]], and [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]]. In addition, Afghanistan has a plethora of minor ethnic categories, including [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]], [[Baloch people|Baloch]], [[Aimaq people|Aimaq]], [[Nuristani people|Nuristani]], [[History of Arabs in Afghanistan|Arab]] and many others.<ref>{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|1304280677}} |last1=Iwamura |first1=Shinobu |title=Hunting for the Génghis Khanid Mongols in Afghanistan |journal=Japan Quarterly |volume=3 |issue=2 |date=April 1956 |pages=213 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://celcar.indiana.edu/materials/language-portal/mongolian/index.html | title=Mongolian | access-date=10 May 2024 | archive-date=10 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210211448/https://celcar.indiana.edu/materials/language-portal/mongolian/index.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://celt.indiana.edu/portal/Mongolian/index.html | title=Mongolian }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/summary/Mongolian-languages | title=Mongolian languages summary &#124; Britannica }}</ref><ref name="Critics: New Categories on Afghan IDs Will Incite Ethnic Tension">{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-170741 |title=Critics: New Categories on Afghan IDs Will Incite Ethnic Tension |publisher=TOLOnews |date=17 March 2021 |access-date=17 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="Factbook"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/04/21/what-chance-for-afghanistan/|title=What Chance for Afghanistan?|first=Anatol|last=Lieven|date=21 April 2016|magazine=The New York Review of Books|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422124057/https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/04/21/what-chance-for-afghanistan/|archive-date=22 April 2016}}</ref> Together they make up the contemporary [[Afghans|Afghan people]].

Approximately 43% of the population was under the age of 15, and about 74% of Afghans lived in rural areas as of 2016.<ref name="uis.unesco.org">{{cite web|url=https://uis.unesco.org/country/af|title=Afghanistan|date=27 November 2016 |publisher=UNESCO|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510121322/http://uis.unesco.org/country/AF|archive-date=10 May 2017}}</ref> The country has one of the highest [[total fertility rate|fertility rates]] in the world outside of [[Africa]], with the average woman giving birth to five children over her lifetime. Around 6.8% of infants die during childbirth or early infancy.<ref name="uis.unesco.org"/> [[World Health Organization|According to the World Health Organization (WHO)]], the nation's average [[life expectancy]] was estimated at about 63 years as of 2019.<ref name="WHO">{{cite web |title=Afghanistan |url=https://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.688 |access-date=1 March 2021 |publisher=World Health Organization (WHO)}}</ref><ref name="UNPD">{{cite web |year=2020 |title=Afghanistan |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/AFG |access-date=1 March 2021 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)}}</ref> The prevalence of [[HIV]] remains very low, affecting only about 0.04% of the population.<ref name="Factbook"/>

[[Pashto]] ({{lang|ps|پښتو}}) and [[Dari]] ({{lang|prs|دری}}) are the [[official languages]] of Afghanistan.<ref name="Constitution" /> Dari serves as the inter-ethnic [[lingua franca]] across most of the country, particularly in northern and eastern provinces as well as in most major cities. Pashto is predominantly spoken in regions south of the [[Hindu Kush]] mountains and extends eastward toward the [[Indus River]] in neighbouring [[Pakistan]]. Smaller languages such as [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] and [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] are spoken in parts of northern Afghanistan.<ref name="Factbook" /> [[Multilingualism]] is widespread, particularly in the major urban centres.

Up to 89.7% of the population adheres to [[Sunni Islam]] and follows the [[Hanafi]] school of [[Fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]], while between 10% and 15% are followers of [[Shia Islam in Afghanistan|Shia Islam]], with the majority belonging to the [[Twelver]] branch, and smaller communities adhering to [[Ismailism|Ismaili]] traditions.<ref name="Factbook"/><ref name="Pew"/> The remaining 0.3% of the population practices other religions, including [[Sikhism in Afghanistan|Sikhism]] and [[Hinduism in Afghanistan|Hinduism]]. Outside the principal urban centres, much of the population is organized into tribal or other kinship-based groups that maintain their own traditional customs.

== Population size and distribution ==
{{Further|Afghan diaspora}}
Anatol Lieven of [[Georgetown University in Qatar]] wrote in 2021 that "it may be noted that in the whole of modern Afghan history there has never been a census that could be regarded as remotely reliable."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lieven|first=Anatol|title=An Afghan Tragedy: The Pashtuns, the Taliban and the State|journal=[[Survival (journal)|Survival: Global Politics and Strategy]]|volume=63|year=2021|issue=3 |pages=7–36|doi=10.1080/00396338.2021.1930403|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Historical ===
[[File:Afghans at Ghazi Stadium in 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Sport in Afghanistan|Sport]] fans inside the [[Ghazi Stadium]] in the capital of [[Kabul]], which is [[multiethnic society|multi-ethnic]] and the largest city of Afghanistan.]]
The first and only nationwide census of Afghanistan was carried out in 1979. It revealed a population of 13,051,358 (rural 11,037,231, urban 2,014,127).<ref>{{Cite web |title=DEMOGRAPHIC YEARBOOK 1983 |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dybsets/1983%20DYB.pdf |website=unstats.un.org}}</ref> Previously there had been scattered attempts to conduct censuses in individual cities.<ref>[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/census-ii CENSUS ii. In Afghanistan] [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]</ref> According to the 1876 census, [[Kabul]] had a population of 140,700 people.<ref>(Gazetteer of Afghanistan VI, p. 333).</ref> In [[Kandahar]] in 1891 a population census was carried out, according to which 31,514 people lived in the city, of which 16,064 were men and 15,450 were women.<ref>Kandahar Newsletter, 10 August 1891, IOR L/P & S/7/63/1295</ref>

From 1979 until the end of 1983, some 5 million people left the country to take shelter in neighbouring northwestern Pakistan and eastern Iran. This exodus was largely unchecked by any government. The Afghan government in 1983 reported a population of 15.96&nbsp;million, which presumably included the exodus.<ref name="U.S. Library of Congress">{{cite web |url=https://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/36.htm |title=Population |publisher=U.S. Library of Congress |year=2008 |access-date=12 October 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110719220830/https://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/36.htm |archive-date=19 July 2011 }}</ref>

It is assumed that roughly 600,000 to as high as 2 million Afghans may have been killed during the various 1979–2001 wars.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://necrometrics.com/20c1m.htm#Afghanistan |title=Afghanistan (1979–2001) |access-date=12 October 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305175626/https://necrometrics.com/20c1m.htm#Afghanistan |archive-date=5 March 2011 }}</ref> These figures are questionable and no attempt has ever been made to verify if they were actually killed or had moved to neighbouring countries as refugees.<ref name="U.S. Library of Congress"/>

As no census has been performed after 1979 and millions of people may have left the country, the current population of Afghanistan can only be guessed.

=== Current and latest ===
As of 2021, the total population of Afghanistan is around 37.5 million,<ref name="Factbook">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/afghanistan/ |title=Afghanistan |work=The World Factbook |publisher=CIA |access-date=1 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/afghanistan-population/ |title=Afghanistan |work=Worldmeters |publisher=worldmeters.info |access-date=30 May 2019}}</ref> which includes the 3 million Afghan nationals living in both [[Afghans in Pakistan|Pakistan]] and [[Afghans in Iran|Iran]].<ref name="PAN-pop"/> About 26% of the population is [[urban area|urbanite]] and the remaining 74% lives in rural areas.<ref name="Factbook"/>

Afghanistan's [[Central Statistics Organization]] (CSO) stated in 2011 that the total number of Afghans living inside Afghanistan was about 26 million<ref name="PAN-pop">{{cite news |url=https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/11/20/afghanistans-population-reaches-26m |title=Afghanistan's population reaches 26m |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |editor=Mohammad Jawad Sharifzada |date=20 November 2011 |access-date=5 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101074433/https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/11/20/afghanistans-population-reaches-26m |archive-date=1 January 2013}}</ref> and by 2017 it reached 29.2&nbsp;million. Of this, 15 million are males and 14.2&nbsp;million are females.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pajhwok.com/photo/afghan-population-29-2-million/ |title=Afghan Population 29.2 Million |website=pajhwok.com|date=10 May 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011103545/https://www.pajhwok.com/en/node/483787|archive-date=11 October 2017|last1=Hamdard |first1=Azizullah }}</ref> The country's population is expected to reach 82 million by 2050.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prb.org/Countries/Afghanistan.aspx |title=Afghanistan – Population Reference Bureau |publisher=[[Population Reference Bureau]] |access-date=29 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224051/http://www.prb.org/Countries/Afghanistan.aspx |archive-date=2 December 2013 }}</ref>

Urban areas have experienced rapid population growth in the last decade, which is due to the return of over 5 million [[expatriate|expats]]. The only city in Afghanistan with over a million residents is its capital, [[Kabul]].

=== Structure of the population ===
[[File:Afghan family Pashtun home.JPEG|thumb|An Afghan family from the Pashtun ethnicity in their home in Kabul]]
Structure of the population (2012.01.07) (Data refer to the settled population based on the 1979 Population Census and the latest household prelisting. The refugees of Afghanistan in Iran, Pakistan, and an estimated 1.5&nbsp;million nomads, are not included):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2013.htm|title=United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics|publisher=United Nations|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331074931/https://unstats.un.org/UNSD/Demographic/products/dyb/dyb2013.htm|archive-date=31 March 2016}}</ref>

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2012) (Data refer to the settled population based on the 1979 Population Census and the latest household prelisting. The refugees of Afghanistan in Iran, Pakistan, and an estimated 1.5 million nomads, are not included.):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age Group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="90pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 13,044,400
| align="right" | 12,455,700
| align="right" | 25,500,100
| align="right" | 100
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 2,422,244
| align="right" | 2,556,304
| align="right" | 4,978,548
| align="right" | 19.52
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 1,941,363
| align="right" | 1,880,407
| align="right" | 3,821,770
| align="right" | 14.99
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 1,556,158
| align="right" | 1,401,695
| align="right" | 2,957,853
| align="right" | 11.60
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 1,276,563
| align="right" | 1,140,810
| align="right" | 2,417,373
| align="right" | 9.48
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 1,059,939
| align="right" | 1,009,807
| align="right" | 2,069,746
| align="right" | 8.12
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 843 967
| align="right" | 864 738
| align="right" | 1,708,705
| align="right" | 6.70
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 678 577
| align="right" | 745 534
| align="right" | 1,424,111
| align="right" | 5.58
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 598 045
| align="right" | 652 326
| align="right" | 1,250,371
| align="right" | 4.90
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 546 102
| align="right" | 533 524
| align="right" | 1,079,626
| align="right" | 4.23
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 495 190
| align="right" | 440 789
| align="right" | 935 979
| align="right" | 3.67
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 435 143
| align="right" | 354 633
| align="right" | 789 776
| align="right" | 3.10
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 360 394
| align="right" | 275 468
| align="right" | 635 862
| align="right" | 2.49
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 281 627
| align="right" | 209 152
| align="right" | 490 779
| align="right" | 1.92
|-
| align="right" | 65–69
| align="right" | 204 376
| align="right" | 150 137
| align="right" | 354 513
| align="right" | 1.39
|-
| align="right" | 70–74
| align="right" | 141 729
| align="right" | 102 048
| align="right" | 243 777
| align="right" | 0.96
|-
| align="right" | 75–79
| align="right" | 91 164
| align="right" | 64 658
| align="right" | 155 822
| align="right" | 0.61
|-
| align="right" | 80–84
| align="right" | 55 446
| align="right" | 38 699
| align="right" | 94 145
| align="right" | 0.37
|-
| align="right" | 85+
| align="right" | 56 373
| align="right" | 34 971
| align="right" | 91 344
| align="right" | 0.36
|-
! width="50" | Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80" | Female
! width="80" | Total
! width="50" | Percent
|-
| align="right" | 0–14
| align="right" | 5,919,765
| align="right" | 5,838,406
| align="right" | 11,758,171
| align="right" | 46.11
|-
| align="right" | 15–64
| align="right" | 6,575,547
| align="right" | 6,226,781
| align="right" | 12,802,328
| align="right" | 50.21
|-
| align="right" | 65+
| align="right" | 549 088
| align="right" | 390 513
| align="right" | 939 601
| align="right" | 3.68
|}

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Data refer to the settled population based on the 1979 Population Census and the latest household prelisting. The refugees of Afghanistan in Iran, Pakistan, and an estimated 1.5 million nomads, are not included.):<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2020/ |title=Demographic Yearbook – 2020 |publisher=[[United Nations Statistics Division]] |place=New York |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age Group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 15,981,303
| align="right" | 15,408,868
| align="right" | 31,390,171
| align="right" | 100
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 2,853,288
| align="right" | 2,743,103
| align="right" | 5,596,391
| align="right" | 17.83
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 2,542,405
| align="right" | 2,379,618
| align="right" | 4,922,023
| align="right" | 15.68
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 2,220,065
| align="right" | 2,026,796
| align="right" | 4,246,861
| align="right" | 13.53
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 1,840,432
| align="right" | 1,727,287
| align="right" | 3,567,719
| align="right" | 11.37
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 1,371,188
| align="right" | 1,463,797
| align="right" | 2,834,985
| align="right" | 9.03
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 1,079,117
| align="right" | 1,177,555
| align="right" | 2,256,672
| align="right" | 7.19
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 828 055
| align="right" | 818 313
| align="right" | 1,646,368
| align="right" | 5.24
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 674 920
| align="right" | 661 949
| align="right" | 1,336,869
| align="right" | 4.26
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 577 135
| align="right" | 611 016
| align="right" | 1,188,151
| align="right" | 3.79
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 480 700
| align="right" | 511 608
| align="right" | 992 308
| align="right" | 3.16
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 381 772
| align="right" | 396 026
| align="right" | 777 798
| align="right" | 2.48
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 320 024
| align="right" | 308 966
| align="right" | 628 990
| align="right" | 2.00
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 286 732
| align="right" | 229 605
| align="right" | 516 337
| align="right" | 1.64
|-
| align="right" | 65–69
| align="right" | 222 590
| align="right" | 161 851
| align="right" | 384 441
| align="right" | 1.22
|-
| align="right" | 70–74
| align="right" | 150 436
| align="right" | 99 412
| align="right" | 249 848
| align="right" | 0.80
|-
| align="right" | 75–79
| align="right" | 70 271
| align="right" | 42 288
| align="right" | 112 559
| align="right" | 0.36
|-
| align="right" | 80–84
| align="right" | 48 540
| align="right" | 26 549
| align="right" | 75 089
| align="right" | 0.24
|-
| align="right" | 85+
| align="right" | 33 633
| align="right" | 23 129
| align="right" | 56 762
| align="right" | 0.18
|-
! width="50" | Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80" | Female
! width="80" | Total
! width="50" | Percent
|-
| align="right" | 0–14
| align="right" | 7,615,758
| align="right" | 7,149,517
| align="right" | 14,765,275
| align="right" | 47.04
|-
| align="right" | 15–64
| align="right" | 7,840,075
| align="right" | 7,906,122
| align="right" | 15,746,197
| align="right" | 50.16
|-
| align="right" | 65+
| align="right" | 525 470
| align="right" | 353 229
| align="right" | 878 699
| align="right" | 2.80
|}

{{#chart:Afghanistan Total Population.chart}}

{{#chart:Afghanistan Population Change.chart}}

{{#chart:Afghanistan Infant Mortality Rate.chart}}

{{#chart:Afghanistan TFR.chart}}

== Vital statistics ==
=== Vital statistics since 1950 (UN estimates) ===
<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations |url=https://population.un.org/wpp/ |access-date=13 July 2022 |publisher=United Nations}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; width:100%"
|-
!
! Population
! Live births
! Deaths
! Natural change
! Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! Crude death rate (per 1000)
! Natural Change (per 1000)
! Crude Migration rate<br/>(per 1000)
! Total fertility rate
! Life expectancy<br/>(in years)
! Infant mortality rate (per 1000 births)
|-
| 1950
| 7,480,464
| 365,303
| 283,668
| +1.09%
| 48.9
| 37.9
| 10.9
|
| 7.25
| 27.73
| 285.8
|-
| 1951
| 7,571,542
| 372,040
| 282,577
| +1.18%
| 49.1
| 37.3
| 11.8
| 0.2
| 7.26
| 27.96
| 283.6
|-
| 1952
| 7,667,534
| 378,290
| 280,803
| +1.27%
| 49.3
| 36.6
| 12.7
| −0.2
| 7.26
| 28.45
| 278.8
|-
| 1953
| 7,764,549
| 384,933
| 279,684
| +1.35%
| 49.5
| 36.0
| 13.5
| −1.0
| 7.27
| 28.93
| 273.9
|-
| 1954
| 7,864,289
| 390,412
| 280,476
| +1.40%
| 49.6
| 35.6
| 14.0
| −1.3
| 7.25
| 29.23
| 269.4
|-
| 1955
| 7,971,933
| 397,156
| 277,695
| +1.50%
| 49.8
| 34.8
| 15.0
| −1.5
| 7.26
| 29.92
| 264.1
|-
| 1956
| 8,087,730
| 404,134
| 277,328
| +1.57%
| 49.9
| 34.3
| 15.7
| −1.4
| 7.27
| 30.41
| 259.3
|-
| 1957
| 8,210,207
| 410,977
| 276,560
| +1.64%
| 50.0
| 33.7
| 16.4
| −1.5
| 7.26
| 30.95
| 254.4
|-
| 1958
| 8,333,827
| 418,266
| 275,681
| +1.71%
| 50.1
| 33.0
| 17.1
| −2.3
| 7.27
| 31.51
| 249.5
|-
| 1959
| 8,468,220
| 425,334
| 274,920
| +1.78%
| 50.2
| 32.5
| 17.8
| −1.9
| 7.28
| 32.04
| 244.9
|-
| 1960
| 8,622,473
| 434,057
| 275,239
| +1.84%
| 50.3
| 31.9
| 18.4
| −0.5
| 7.28
| 32.54
| 240.5
|-
| 1961
| 8,790,140
| 443,319
| 275,508
| +1.91%
| 50.4
| 31.3
| 19.1
| 0
| 7.28
| 33.07
| 236.2
|-
| 1962
| 8,969,055
| 453,468
| 276,593
| +1.97%
| 50.6
| 30.8
| 19.7
| 0.2
| 7.29
| 33.55
| 232.2
|-
| 1963
| 9,157,463
| 464,225
| 277,961
| +2.03%
| 50.7
| 30.4
| 20.3
| 0.3
| 7.30
| 34.02
| 228.2
|-
| 1964
| 9,355,510
| 475,452
| 279,368
| +2.10%
| 50.8
| 29.9
| 21.0
| 0.2
| 7.30
| 34.49
| 224.3
|-
| 1965
| 9,565,154
| 486,406
| 281,003
| +2.15%
| 50.9
| 29.4
| 21.5
| 0.4
| 7.31
| 34.95
| 220.6
|-
| 1966
| 9,783,153
| 498,801
| 282,463
| +2.21%
| 51.0
| 28.9
| 22.1
| 0.2
| 7.32
| 35.45
| 216.6
|-
| 1967
| 10,010,037
| 511,245
| 284,203
| +2.27%
| 51.1
| 28.4
| 22.7
| 0.0
| 7.34
| 35.92
| 212.9
|-
| 1968
| 10,247,782
| 524,167
| 285,867
| +2.33%
| 51.1
| 27.9
| 23.3
| −0.1
| 7.36
| 36.42
| 209.1
|-
| 1969
| 10,494,491
| 537,318
| 287,557
| +2.38%
| 51.2
| 27.4
| 23.8
| −0.3
| 7.39
| 36.91
| 205.3
|-
| 1970
| 10,752,973
| 549,695
| 288,979
| +2.42%
| 51.1
| 26.9
| 24.2
| −0.2
| 7.40
| 37.42
| 201.5
|-
| 1971
| 11,015,853
| 564,040
| 290,646
| +2.48%
| 51.2
| 26.4
| 24.8
| −0.9
| 7.43
| 37.92
| 197.7
|-
| 1972
| 11,286,753
| 577,071
| 291,819
| +2.53%
| 51.1
| 25.8
| 25.3
| −1.3
| 7.45
| 38.44
| 194.0
|-
| 1973
| 11,575,308
| 591,855
| 292,915
| +2.58%
| 51.1
| 25.3
| 25.8
| −0.9
| 7.49
| 39.00
| 190.1
|-
| 1974
| 11,869,881
| 607,606
| 294,363
| +2.64%
| 51.1
| 24.8
| 26.4
| −1.6
| 7.53
| 39.55
| 186.2
|-
| 1975
| 12,157,390
| 621,494
| 295,301
| +2.68%
| 51.0
| 24.2
| 26.8
| −3.2
| 7.54
| 40.10
| 182.2
|-
| 1976
| 12,425,276
| 635,188
| 295,770
| +2.72%
| 50.9
| 23.7
| 27.2
| −5.6
| 7.56
| 40.65
| 178.3
|-
| 1977
| 12,687,308
| 648,307
| 295,112
| +2.77%
| 50.9
| 23.2
| 27.7
| −7.0
| 7.59
| 41.23
| 174.2
|-
| 1978
| 12,938,864
| 660,606
| 310,376
| +2.69%
| 50.8
| 23.9
| 26.9
| −7.5
| 7.60
| 40.27
| 172.7
|-
| 1979
| 12,986,378
| 671,213
| 328,042
| +2.64%
| 50.7
| 24.8
| 25.9
| −22.7
| 7.61
| 39.09
| 171.7
|-
| 1980
| 12,486,640
| 660,892
| 316,937
| +2.75%
| 50.5
| 24.2
| 26.3
| −67.5
| 7.59
| 39.62
| 167.8
|-
| 1981
| 11,155,196
| 614,273
| 288,555
| +2.92%
| 50.3
| 23.6
| 26.7
| −148.6
| 7.57
| 40.16
| 163.6
|-
| 1982
| 10,088,290
| 520,603
| 266,040
| +2.52%
| 50.1
| 25.6
| 24.5
| −131.0
| 7.55
| 37.77
| 165.2
|-
| 1983
| 9,951,447
| 503,887
| 252,318
| +2.50%
| 50.1
| 25.1
| 25.0
| −38.8
| 7.54
| 38.19
| 161.4
|-
| 1984
| 10,243,689
| 506,571
| 302,824
| +2.02%
| 50.2
| 30.0
| 20.2
| 8.3
| 7.51
| 33.33
| 169.7
|-
| 1985
| 10,512,220
| 536,861
| 314,987
| +2.09%
| 50.6
| 29.7
| 20.9
| 4.6
| 7.52
| 33.55
| 166.4
|-
| 1986
| 10,448,447
| 541,017
| 252,810
| +2.76%
| 50.7
| 23.7
| 27.0
| −33.7
| 7.52
| 39.40
| 150.3
|-
| 1987
| 10,322,767
| 535,214
| 245,107
| +2.81%
| 50.8
| 23.3
| 27.6
| −40.3
| 7.53
| 39.84
| 146.5
|-
| 1988
| 10,383,459
| 531,795
| 208,051
| +3.10%
| 51.0
| 19.9
| 31.0
| −25.2
| 7.53
| 43.96
| 136.0
|-
| 1989
| 10,673,172
| 546,142
| 203,321
| +3.21%
| 51.2
| 19.0
| 32.1
| −5.0
| 7.53
| 45.16
| 131.1
|-
| 1990
| 10,694,804
| 567,256
| 203,514
| +3.40%
| 51.4
| 18.4
| 33.0
| −32.0
| 7.56
| 45.97
| 127.0
|-
| 1991
| 10,745,168
| 555,610
| 192,531
| +3.38%
| 51.8
| 17.9
| 33.8
| −29.1
| 7.61
| 46.66
| 123.4
|-
| 1992
| 12,057,436
| 578,891
| 191,913
| +3.21%
| 51.9
| 17.2
| 34.7
| 76.7
| 7.66
| 47.60
| 118.3
|-
| 1993
| 14,003,764
| 698,469
| 199,165
| +3.57%
| 52.0
| 14.8
| 37.2
| 103.3
| 7.72
| 51.47
| 110.8
|-
| 1994
| 15,455,560
| 789,282
| 222,214
| +3.67%
| style="color:blue" |52.2
| 14.7
| 37.5
| 57.2
| style="color:blue" |7.72
| 51.50
| 107.0
|-
| 1995
| 16,418,911
| 853,355
| 230,943
| +3.80%
| 52.1
| 14.1
| 38.0
| 20.7
| 7.71
| 52.54
| 104.2
|-
| 1996
| 17,106,600
| 886,917
| 232,991
| +3.82%
| 51.9
| 13.6
| style="color:blue" |38.2
| 2.0
| 7.71
| 53.24
| 101.2
|-
| 1997
| 17,788,818
| 914,412
| 237,216
| +3.81%
| 51.4
| 13.3
| 38.1
| 0.3
| 7.67
| 53.63
| 98.9
|-
| 1998
| 18,493,134
| 940,233
| 250,677
| +3.73%
| 50.9
| 13.6
| 37.3
| 0.8
| 7.64
| 52.94
| 97.0
|-
| 1999
| 19,262,854
| 967,977
| 239,604
| +3.79%
| 50.4
| 12.5
| 37.9
| 2.1
| 7.60
| 54.85
| 93.4
|-
| 2000
| 19,542,986
| 995,813
| 242,535
| +3.76%
| 49.7
| 12.1
| 37.6
| −23.3
| 7.53
| 55.30
| 90.8
|-
| 2001
| 19,688,634
| 969,246
| 231,795
| +3.73%
| 49.0
| 11.7
| 37.3
| −29.9
| 7.45
| 55.80
| 88.4
|-
| 2002
| 21,000,258
| 980,458
| 229,450
| +3.58%
| 48.2
| 11.3
| 36.9
| 26.7
| 7.34
| 56.45
| 85.8
|-
| 2003
| 22,645,136
| 1,063,246
| 240,215
| +3.63%
| 47.4
| 10.7
| 36.7
| 36.3
| 7.22
| 57.34
| 82.6
|-
| 2004
| 23,553,554
| 1,097,160
| 243,367
| +3.61%
| 46.3
| 10.3
| 36.1
| 2.5
| 7.07
| 57.94
| 79.9
|-
| 2005
| 24,411,196
| 1,099,366
| 241,454
| +3.53%
| 45.3
| 9.9
| 35.3
| −0.2
| 6.91
| 58.36
| 77.5
|-
| 2006
| 25,442,946
| 1,136,774
| 246,037
| +3.50%
| 44.7
| 9.7
| 35.0
| 5.6
| 6.72
| 58.68
| 74.9
|-
| 2007
| 25,903,306
| 1,156,957
| 246,898
| +3.51%
| 43.9
| 9.4
| 34.5
| −17.3
| 6.53
| 59.11
| 71.9
|-
| 2008
| 26,427,204
| 1,091,824
| 232,339
| +3.27%
| 41.5
| 8.8
| 32.7
| −12.9
| 6.38
| 59.85
| 69.2
|-
| 2009
| 27,385,310
| 1,128,666
| 234,065
| +3.26%
| 41.2
| 8.5
| 32.6
| 2.4
| 6.24
| 60.36
| 67.2
|-
| 2010
| 28,189,672
| 1,147,643
| 233,308
| +3.23%
| 40.6
| 8.3
| 32.3
| −3.8
| 6.10
| 60.85
| 64.8
|-
| 2011
| 29,249,156
| 1,157,518
| 230,346
| +3.19%
| 39.9
| 7.9
| 31.9
| 4.3
| 5.96
| 61.42
| 62.3
|-
| 2012
| 30,466,484
| 1,217,396
| 234,629
| +3.23%
| 40.0
| 7.7
| 32.3
| 7.7
| 5.83
| 61.92
| 60.0
|-
| 2013
| 31,541,216
| 1,248,455
| 235,744
| +3.21%
| 39.6
| 7.5
| 32.1
| 2.0
| 5.70
| 62.42
| 57.8
|-
| 2014
| 32,716,214
| 1,274,665
| 241,055
| +3.17%
| 39.1
| 7.4
| 31.7
| 4.2
| 5.56
| 62.55
| 56.3
|-
| 2015
| 33,753,500
| 1,315,633
| 248,560
| +3.15%
| 38.8
| 7.3
| 31.5
| −0.8
| 5.41
| 62.66
| 54.5
|-
| 2016
| 34,636,212
| 1,315,746
| 245,452
| +3.09%
| 37.9
| 7.1
| 30.9
| −5.4
| 5.26
| 63.14
| 52.5
|-
| 2017
| 35,643,420
| 1,332,116
| 250,677
| +3.03%
| 37.3
| 7.0
| 30.3
| −2.0
| 5.13
| 63.02
| 49.4
|-
| 2018
| 36,686,788
| 1,355,895
| 256,314
| +2.99%
| 36.9
| 7.0
| 29.9
| −1.5
| 5.00
| 63.08
| 47.8
|-
| 2019
| 37,769,496
| 1,377,704
| 256,564
| +2.97%
| 36.5
| style="color:blue" |6.8
| 29.7
| −1.0
| 4.87
| 63.57
| 46.7
|-
| 2020
| 38,972,236
| 1,402,265
| 276,683
| +2.89%
| 36.1
| 7.1
| 28.9
| 2.0
| 4.75
| 62.58
| 45.8
|-
| 2021
| 40,099,460
| 1,440,941
| 295,236
| +2.85%
| 35.8
| 7.3
| 28.5
| −0.4
| 4.64
| 61.98
| 44.7
|-
| 2022
| 41,128,771
|
|
| +2.82%
| 35.14
| 6.91
| 28.23
| −3.2
| 4.52
| 62.88
| 44.8
|-
| 2023
| 42,239,854
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 4.41
| 64.23
| 37.7
|}

=== Infant-related statistics ===
Afghanistan 2024 [[total fertility rate]] has been estimated at 4.4.
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison/|title=Total fertility rate Comparison – The World Factbook|website=www.cia.gov}}</ref> In 2022 it was 4.5, about twice the world average rate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?end=2022&start=1960&view=chart|title=World Bank Open Data|website=World Bank Open Data}}</ref> The rate has fallen since the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?end=2022&locations=AF&start=1983&view=chart|title=World Bank Open Data|website=World Bank Open Data}}</ref>

==== Crude Birth Rate (CBR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Wanted Fertility Rate (WFR) ====
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR248/FR248.pdf |title=The DHS Program – Quality information to plan, monitor and improve population, health, and nutrition programs |access-date=30 June 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019172926/http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR248/FR248.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2014 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-text"
|-
! rowspan=2 | year
! colspan=3 | crude birth rate (CBR)
! colspan=3 | total fertility rate (TFR)
! colspan=3 | wanted fertility rate (WFR)
|-
! total !! urban !! rural
! total !! urban !! rural
! total !! urban !! rural
|-
| 2010
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 34.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.2
| style="text-align:right;" |
| style="text-align:right;" |
| style="text-align:right;" |
|-
| 2015
| style="text-align:right;" | 36.8 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.8 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 37.1 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.3 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.8 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.4 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.4 {{decrease}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 3.7 {{decrease}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.6 {{decrease}}
|-
| 2022–23
| style="text-align:right;" | 36.0 {{decrease}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 32.0 {{decrease}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 38.0 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.4 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.3 {{decrease}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.8 {{increase}}
| style="text-align:right;" |
| style="text-align:right;" |
| style="text-align:right;" |
|}

==== Fertility data by province ====
Estimations from 2015 (DHS Survey)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statcompiler.com/en/#|title=STATcompiler|website=statcompiler.com|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> and 2022–23 (MICS Survey).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mics.unicef.org/sites/mics/files/Afghanistan%202022-23%20MICS_English.pdf|title=Afghanistan MICS 2022–23|website=mics.unicef.org|access-date=30 November 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! style="width:100pt;" rowspan=2 | Province
! colspan=2 | TFR
|-
! 2015!! 2023
|-
| '''Afghanistan'''
| '''5.3'''||'''5.4''' {{increase}}
|-
| [[Kabul Province|Kabul]]
| 4.6||3.8 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]]
| 4.8||5.6 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Parwan Province|Parwan]]
| 5.7||5.0 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Wardak Province|Wardak]]
| 4.2||5.3 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Logar Province|Logar]]
| 4.2||6.2 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Nangarhar Province|Nangarhar]]
| 6.4||5.6 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Laghman Province|Laghman]]
| 7.3||6.2 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Panjshir Province|Panjshir]]
| 3.2||3.5 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Baghlan Province|Baghlan]]
| 4.4||5.4 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]]
| 5.4||4.2 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Ghazni Province|Ghazni]]
| 2.8||5.6 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Paktika Province|Paktika]]
| 5.3||6.3 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Paktia Province|Paktia]]
| 5.2||5.7 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Khost Province|Khost]]
| 5.6||5.3 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Kunar Province|Kunar]]
| 6.8||6.4 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]]
| 8.9||5.6 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]]
| 5.3||5.1 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Takhar Province|Takhar]]
| 5.7||5.9 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]]
| 4.4||6.4 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Samangan Province|Samangan]]
| 5.1||4.3 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Balkh Province|Balkh]]
| 5.5||4.9 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Sar-e Pol Province|Sar-e Pol]]
| 4.8||5.5 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Ghor Province|Ghor]]
| 5.8||4.8 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Daykundi Province|Daykundi]]
| 5.2||4.8 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Urozgan Province|Urozgan]]
| 8.8||5.6 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Zabul Province|Zabul]]
| 5.1||7.8 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]]
| 6.5||6.3 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Jawzjan]]
| 3.9||5.5 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Faryab Province|Faryab]]
| 6.2||6.4 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Helmand Province|Helmand]]
| 4.7||7.3 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Badghis Province|Badghis]]
| 6.6||5.8 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Herat Province|Herat]]
| 4.8||4.4 {{decrease}}
|-
| [[Farah Province|Farah]]
| 5.4||7.1 {{increase}}
|-
| [[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]]
| 5.4||6.2 {{increase}}
|}

=== Life expectancy ===
[[File:Life expectancy by WBG -Afghanistan -diff.png|thumb|[[Life expectancy at birth]] in Afghanistan]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Period
! Life expectancy in<br />Years
! Period
! Life expectancy in<br />Years
|-
| 1950–1955
| 28.6
| 1985–1990
| 47.7
|-
| 1955–1960
| 31.1
| 1990–1995
| 51.7
|-
| 1960–1965
| 33.4
| 1995–2000
| 54.2
|-
| 1965–1970
| 35.6
| 2000–2005
| 56.9
|-
| 1970–1975
| 37.8
| 2005–2010
| 60.0
|-
| 1975–1980
| 40.4
| 2010–2015
| 62.3
|-
| 1980–1985
| 43.6
| 2015–2020
| 63.2
|}
Source: ''UN World Population Prospects''<ref>{{cite web|title=World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations|url=https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/|access-date=15 July 2017}}</ref>

[[File:School reopening, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Gathering of students in 2006 at a school in [[Nangarhar Province]].|227x227px]]

== Ethnicity ==
{{Further|Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
An approximate distribution of the [[ethnolinguistics|ethnolinguistic]] groups are listed in the chart below:{{cn|date=December 2024}}
[[File:Afghanistan ethnic groups 2005.jpg|thumb|A CIA map showing the various Afghan tribal territories in 2005|231x231px]]
[[File:US Army ethnolinguistic map of Afghanistan -- circa 2001-09.jpg|thumb|Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan in 2001|232x232px]]
[[File:Afghanistan Ethnolinguistic Groups 1982.jpg|thumb|Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan and nearby regions in 1982|233x233px]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:60%; float:center;"
|+ Ethnic groups in Afghanistan based on alternative estimates
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | Ethnic group
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | Image
! style="background:#ddf; width:15%;" |{{small| estimate based on native mother tongue}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Afghanistan_Languages_summary |url=https://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Afghanistan_Languages_summary_lg.png}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-14 |title=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af |access-date=2025-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014200908/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af |archive-date=14 October 2013 }}</ref>
! style="background:#ddf; width:15%;" |The World Factbook

<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af |title=The World Factbook |website=cia.gov |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014200908/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af |archive-date=14 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992 via the Libraries of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis |url=https://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930006.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991009201426/https://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930006.txt |archive-date=9 October 1999 }}</ref>
!'''Library of Congress Country Studies''' <ref>{{Cite web |title=Library of Congress Country Studies. |url=https://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+af0037%29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110132651/https://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+af0037%29 |archive-date=10 January 2009}}</ref>
!Gulf/2000 Project <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Gulf/2000 Project - SIPA - COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY |url=https://gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=gulf2000.columbia.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Afghanistan_Ethnic_summary |url=https://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Afghanistan_Ethnic_summary_lg.png}}</ref>
|-
| [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]]
| [[File:Khost children in 2010.jpg|141x141px|Children in Khost province]]
| align=center | 38.5%_42%
| align=center | 42%
|40%
|38.5%
|-
| [[Tajiks|Tajik]]
| [[File:Afghan children in Badakhshan Province-2012.jpg|144x144px|Tajik children in Khowahan district of Badakhshan]]
| align=center rowspan="2" | 58.2%{{efn-ua|This number represents Dari Persian native speakers including [[Tajiks]], [[Hazaras]], [[Aimak people|Aimaks]], [[Qizilbash]] and other smaller ethnicities.}}
| align=center | 27%
|25.3%
|24.5%
|-
| [[Hazaras|Hazara]]
| [[File:Hazara people on the anniversary of Abdul Ali Mazari's death in Kabul.jpg|143x143px|Hazaras on the anniversary of [[Abdul Ali Mazari]]'s death in 2021 in Kabul]]
| align=center | 9%
|18%
|24.5%
|-
| [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]]
| [[File:Uzbek looking boy in northern Afghanistan.jpg|142x142px|Uzbek looking boy in northern Afghanistan]]
| align=center | 5%
| align=center | 9%
|6.3%
|6%
|-
| [[Aymāq|Aimak]]
|
| align=center | –
| align=center | 4%
|–
|In many sources, the Aimaks are considered part of the Tajiks.
|-
| [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]]
|
| align=center | 1.2%
| align=center | 3%
|2.5%
|1.2%
|-
| [[Baloch people|Baloch]]
| [[File:Men in Zaranj-cropped.jpg|143x143px|Camera focusing on Baloch]]
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 2%
|–
|0.5%
|-
| Others ([[Pashai people|Pashai]], [[Nuristani people|Nuristani]], [[History of Arabs in Afghanistan|Arab]], [[Brahui people|Brahui]], [[Qizilbash]], [[Pamiri people|Pamiri]], etc.)
| [[File:Young Pashai man with flowers in his hair.jpg|143x143px|Young Pashai man]]
| align=center | 2.1%
| align=center | 4%
|7.9%
|4.9%
|}
{{notelist-ua}}
{{Clear}}

The recent estimate in the above chart is somewhat supported by the below national [[opinion poll]]s, which were aimed at knowing how a group of about 804 to 8,706 local residents in Afghanistan felt about the current war, political situation, as well as the economic and social issues affecting their daily lives. Ten [[statistical survey|survey]]s were conducted between 2004 and 2015 by the [[The Asia Foundation|Asia Foundation]] (a sample is shown in the table below; the survey in 2015 did not contain information on the ethnicity of the participants) and one between 2004 and 2009 by a combined effort of the broadcasting companies [[NBC News]], [[BBC]], and [[ARD (broadcaster)|ARD]].<ref name="AsiaFoundation">See:
* {{cite web
 |url = https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_Afghan_Survey_Full-Report_.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2019 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 277
 |quote = ''D-14. Which ethnic group do you belong to?''
 |publisher = [[The Asia Foundation]]
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 15 September 2021
 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20210915152910/https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_Afghan_Survey_Full-Report_.pdf
 |archive-date = 15 September 2021
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018_Afghan-Survey_fullReport-12.4.18.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2018 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 243
 |quote = ''D-14. WHICH ETHNIC GROUP DO YOU BELONG TO?''
 |publisher = [[The Asia Foundation]]
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 31 December 2018
 |archive-date = 7 August 2019
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190807211241/https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018_Afghan-Survey_fullReport-12.4.18.pdf
 |url-status = dead
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Surveybook2012web1.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2012 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 182
 |quote = ''Ethnicity Status''
 |publisher = [[The Asia Foundation]]
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 28 November 2012
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121115230323/https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Surveybook2012web1.pdf
 |archive-date = 15 November 2012
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2010survey.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 225–226
 |quote = ''D-9. Which ethnic group do you belong to? SINGLE RESPONSE ONLY Pashtun 48%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 10%, Turkmen 2%, Baloch 1%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 2%, Arab 2%''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |year = 2010
 |access-date = 20 March 2011
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719221519/https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2010survey.pdf
 |archive-date = 19 July 2011
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2009.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People
 |quote = ''The 2009 survey interviewed '''6,406 Afghans''' (53% men and 47% women)''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 28 November 2012
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120907040332/https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2009.pdf
 |archive-date = 7 September 2012
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2008.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |quote = ''The 2008 survey interviewed '''6,593 Afghans'''...''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 28 November 2012
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120905002127/https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/Afghanistanin2008.pdf
 |archive-date = 5 September 2012
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/AGsurvey07.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2007 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 225–226
 |quote = ''The 2007 survey interviewed '''6,406 Afghans''', Which ethnic group do you belong to? SINGLE RESPONSE ONLY Pashtun 55%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 8%, Hazara 15%, Turkmen 8%, Baloch 1%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 1%, Arab 1%''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |year = 2010
 |access-date = 20 March 2011
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110813043634/https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/AGsurvey07.pdf
 |archive-date = 13 August 2011
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/AG-survey06.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2006 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |pages = 83–88
 |quote = ''A total of '''6,226 respondents''' were surveyed in the study, out of which 4888 (78.5%) were from the rural areas and 1338 (22%) were from the urban areas. Ethnicity: Pashtun 49.9, Tajik 27.1, Uzbek 9.2, Hazara 9.2, Turkmen 1.7, Baloch 0.5, Nuristani 0.4, Aimak 0.1, Arab 0.7, Pashayi 0.3''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |access-date = 28 November 2012
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120413085751/https://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/AG-survey06.pdf
 |archive-date = 13 April 2012
}}
* {{cite web
 |url = https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/afghanvotered04.pdf
 |title = Afghanistan in 2004 – A survey of the Afghan people
 |quote = ''The 2004 survey interviewed '''804 Afghans''', Which ethnic group do you belong to? Pashtun 50%, Tajik 29%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 6%, Turkmen 1%, Baloch 0%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 0%, Arab 1%, Pashaye 0%, Other 1%.''
 |publisher = The Asia Foundation
 |location = Kabul, Afghanistan
 |year = 2004
 |access-date = 28 November 2012
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120906011313/https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/afghanvotered04.pdf
 |archive-date = 6 September 2012
}}</ref><ref name="ABCBBCARD">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1083a1Afghanistan2009.pdf|title=ABC NEWS/BBC/ARD poll – Afghanistan: Where Things Stand|pages=38–40|work=ABC News|location=Kabul, Afghanistan|access-date=29 October 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628130800/https://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1083a1Afghanistan2009.pdf |archive-date=28 June 2011}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; float:left;"
|+ Answers regarding ethnicity provided by 804 to 13,943 Afghans in national opinion polls
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:15%;" | Ethnic group
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2004)}}<ref name="ABCBBCARD"/><br />{{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2004)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2005)}}<ref name="ABCBBCARD"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2006)}}<ref name="ABCBBCARD"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2007)}}<ref name="ABCBBCARD"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2007)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2009)}}<ref name="ABCBBCARD"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2012)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2014)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2018)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
! style="background:#ddf; width:8.5%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2019)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/>
|-
| Pashtun
| align=center | 56%
| align=center | 50%
| align=center | 52%
| align=center | 48%
| align=center | 50.1%
| align=center | 50%
| align=center | 50%
| align=center | 50%
| align=center | 48%
| align=center | 49%
|-
| Tajik
| align=center | 29%
| align=center | 27%
| align=center | 27%
| align=center | 28%
| align=center | 25.1%
| align=center | 27%
| align=center | 23%
| align=center | 26%
| align=center | 27%
| align=center | 27%
|-
| Hazara
| align=center | 6%
| align=center | 13%
| align=center | 12%
| align=center | 6%
| align=center | 10.0%
| align=center | 11%
| align=center | 11%
| align=center | 10%
| align=center | 10%
| align=center | 11%
|-
| Uzbek
| align=center | 6%
| align=center | 6%
| align=center | 5%
| align=center | 6%
| align=center | 8.1%
| align=center | 7%
| align=center | 9%
| align=center | 8%
| align=center | 9%
| align=center | 8%
|-
| Aimak
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0.8%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | <0.5%
|-
| Turkmen
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 3.1%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 2%
|-
| Baloch
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 0.7%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | <0.5%
|-
| Others (Pashayi, Nuristani, Kurdish, Arab, Qizilbash.)
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | 5%
| align=center | 2.1%
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 3%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 2%
| align=center | 3%
|-
| Don't know
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | -%
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | -%
|}
{{Clear}}

== Languages ==
{{main article|Languages of Afghanistan}}
[[File:Map of Pashto-speaking areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan.svg|thumb|Map of Pashto-speaking areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan]]
[[Dari]] and [[Pashto]] are both [[official language]]s of Afghanistan.<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web|title=Article Sixteen of the Constitution of Afghanistan|url=https://www.afghan-web.com/politics/current_constitution.html#preamble|quote=From among the languages of Pashto, Dari, Uzbeki, Turkmani, Baluchi, Pashai, Nuristani, Pamiri (alsana), Arab and other languages spoken in the country, Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state.|year=2004|access-date=25 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028065437/http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/current_constitution.html#preamble|archive-date=28 October 2013}}</ref>
[[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] and [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] are spoken as native languages in northern provinces, mainly among the [[Uzbeks]] and [[Afghan Turkmens|Turkmens]]. Smaller number of Afghans are also fluent in [[English language|English]], [[Urdu]], [[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and other languages. An approximate distribution of languages spoken in the country is shown in the chart below:

{| class="wikitable sortable" width="75%" style="text-align:center; float:left" 
|+ [[Languages of Afghanistan]]
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:30%;" | Language
! style="background:#ddf; width:20%;" | {{small|Recent estimate<br />including both [[First language|L1]]<br />and [[Second language|L2]] speakers}}<ref name="Languages">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/languages|title=Languages – The World Factbook|website=www.cia.gov}}</ref>
! style="background:#ddf; width:20%;" | {{small|Pre-1992 estimates}}<ref name="CIA-1991">{{cite web |date=15 October 1991 |title=The World Factbok – Afghanistan |url=https://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact90/world12.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427053700/https://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact90/world12.txt |archive-date=27 April 2011 |access-date=20 March 2011 |work=The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agency |publisher=[[University of Missouri]] |quote=''Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik, 9% Uzbek, 12–15% Hazara[,] minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others […] Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Persian (Dari), 11% Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 4% thirty minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai)[,] much bilingualism''}}</ref><ref name="Iranica-Afghanistan-lang">{{cite web|url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-v-languages|title=AFGHANISTAN v. Languages|quote='' Official languages. Paṧtō (1) promoted to the status of official language by royal decree in 1936, is the native tongue of 50 to 55 percent of Afghans; as a second language it is spoken by less than 10 percent of the population. The Paṧtō-speaking areas are located in the east, the south, and the southwest of the country. Important colonies of nāqelīn (displaced populations) have settled in Bactria. Persian (2) is the language most spoken in Afghanistan. The native tongue of twenty five percent of the population, it is split into numerous dialects.''|work=Ch. M. Kieffer|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|date= 15 December 1983 |access-date=2025-01-16|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429162829/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-v-languages|archive-date=29 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="Ethnologue">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_country.asp?name=Afghanistan |title=Languages of Afghanistan |work=SIL International |publisher=[[Ethnologue|Ethnologue: Languages of the World]] |access-date=18 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130093407/http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_country.asp?name=Afghanistan |archive-date=30 January 2009 }}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Dari]]'''<br />(incl. Eastern, Kabuli, Hazaragi & Aimaqi)
| 77%
| 25–35% (L1)
|-
| '''[[Pashto]]'''<br />(incl. Northern and Southern)
| 48%
| 50–55% (L1)<br /><10% (L2)
|-
| '''[[Turkic languages]]'''<br />(incl. [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] and [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]])
| 11% (Uzbek)<br />3% (Turkmen)
| 11% (L1)
|-
| '''other [[Indigenous language|indigenous languages]]'''<br />(incl. [[Pashayi language|Pashayi]], [[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Nuristani languages|Nuristani]])
| 1% (Pashayi)<br />1% (Balochi)<br />1% (Nuristani)
| 4% (L1)
|-
| '''other non-indigenous languages'''
| 6% [[English language|English]]<br />3% [[Urdu]]<br />1% [[Arabic]]
|
|-
| colspan="9" | <sup>1</sup> <small>note: 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<br />note: 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</small><ref name="Languages"/>
|}
{{Clear}}
Based on information from the latest national opinion polls, up to 51% stated that they can speak or understand Pashto and up to 79% stated that they can speak or understand Dari. Uzbek was spoken or understood by up to 11% and Turkmen by up to 7%. Other languages that can be spoken are Arabic (4%) and Balochi (2%).<ref name="AsiaFoundation"/><ref name="ABCBBCARD"/>

== Religion ==
{{Main|Religion in Afghanistan}}
{{bar box
| titlebar=#ddd
| float=right
| title=[[Religion in Afghanistan]] (2015)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_1_2.asp|title=Afghanistan, Religion and Social Profile|access-date=26 July 2021|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612032900/https://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_1_2.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| left1=Religion
| right1=Percent
| bars=
{{bar percent|[[Sunni Islam]]|Darkgreen|89.7}}
{{bar percent|[[Shia Islam]]|Green|10}}
{{bar percent|[[Religion in Afghanistan#Minority religious groups|others]]|blue|0.3}}
| caption=
}}

Almost the entire Afghan population is Muslim, with less than 1% being non-Muslim. Despite attempts to secularise Afghan society, Islamic practices pervade all aspects of life. Likewise, Islamic religious tradition and codes, together with traditional practices, provide the principal means of controlling personal conduct and settling legal disputes. Islam was used as the main basis for expressing opposition to the progressive reforms of Afghanistan by [[Amanullah Khan|King Amanullah]] in the 1920s.

The members of Sikh and Hindu communities are mostly concentrated in urban areas. They numbered hundreds of thousands in the 1970s but over 90% have since fled due to the Afghan wars and persecution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nearly 99% Of Hindus, Sikhs Left Afghanistan in Last Three decades |publisher=TOLOnews|date=20 June 2016|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/nearly-99-hindus-sikhs-left-afghanistan-last-three-decades}}</ref>
* '''[[Islam in Afghanistan|Islam]]''': 99.7% of the total population
** [[Sunni Muslim]]: 84.7–89.7%<ref name="Factbook" /><ref name="Pew">{{cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/#identity|title=Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation|date=9 August 2012|work=The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]'s Religion & Public Life Project|access-date=4 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226113158/http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/#identity|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref>
** [[Shia Islam in Afghanistan|Shia Muslim]]: 7<ref name="Pew"/>-15%<ref name="Factbook" /><ref name="Pew" />
* '''[[Religion in Afghanistan#Minority religious groups|others]]''': 0.3%
** [[Baha'i Faith in Afghanistan|Baha'is]] In the hundreds
** [[Sikhism in Afghanistan|Sikhism]]: In the hundreds
** [[Hinduism in Afghanistan|Hinduism]]: In the hundreds
** [[Zoroastrianism]]: Unknown/unreported
** [[Christianity in Afghanistan|Christianity]]: Unknown
** [[History of the Jews in Afghanistan|Judaism]]: 0<ref>{{cite news |url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/last-jew-afghanistan-en-route-us-report |title=Last Jew in Afghanistan en route to US: report |work=The New Arab |date=7 September 2021 |access-date=17 September 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/kabul-with-jewish-population-of-1-still-suffers-from-widespread-anti-semitism/|first=Ezzatullah|last=Mehrdad|access-date=9 September 2021|date=16 July 2019|work=The Times of Israel|title=Kabul, with Jewish population of 1, still suffers from widespread anti-Semitism}}</ref>
** [[Buddhism in Afghanistan|Buddhism]]: Unknown

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; float:left;"
|+ National opinion polls (religion)
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:15%;" | Religion
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2004)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2006)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2007)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2008)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2009)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2010)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2011)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
! style="background:#ddf; width:10%;" | {{small|"A survey of the Afghan people" (2012)}}<ref name="AsiaFoundation" />
|-
| [[Sunni Islam]]
| align=center | 92%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 87.3%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|-
| [[Shia Islam]]
| align=center | 7%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 12.3%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|-
| [[Ismailism]]
| align=center | 1%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 0.4%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|-
| [[Hinduism]]
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 0.1%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|-
| [[Buddhism]]
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|-
| [[Sikhism]]
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | "
| align=center | 0%
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
| align=center | "
|}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
{{stack|{{Portal|Afghanistan}}}}
{{Main|Health in Afghanistan|Healthcare in Afghanistan|Education in Afghanistan}}
* [[Culture of Afghanistan]]
* [[Baloch of Afghanistan]]
* [[Turks in Afghanistan]]
* [[Tajiks in Afghanistan]]
* [[Afghan Turkmens]]
* [[Kurds in Afghanistan|Afghan Kurds]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Banting, Erinn. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fl8cd15sc7wC Afghanistan the People]''. Crabtree Publishing Company, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7787-9336-2}}.
* [[Olaf Caroe|Caroe, Olaf]] (1958). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=rZ0tAQAAIAAJ The Pathans: 500 B.C.-A.D. 1957]''. Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints. Oxford University Press, 1983. {{ISBN|0-19-577221-0}}.
* [[Nancy Hatch Dupree|Dupree, Nancy Hatch]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=T__DHAAACAAJ An Historical Guide to Afghanistan]''. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Air Authority, Afghan Tourist Organization, 1977.
* [[Mountstuart Elphinstone|Elphinstone, Mountstuart]]. 1819. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=RSEPAAAAYAAJ An account of the kingdom of Caubul, and its dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India: Comprising a view of the Afghaun nation, and a history of the Dooraunee monarchy]''. Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, and J. Murry, 1819.
* [[Abdul Hai Habibi|Habibi, Abdul Hai]]. 2003. "Afghanistan: An Abridged History." Fenestra Books. {{ISBN|1-58736-169-8}}.
* Hopkins, B. D. 2008. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=FOMUAQAAIAAJ The Making of Modern Afghanistan]''. [[Palgrave Macmillan]], 2008. {{ISBN|0-230-55421-0}}.
* Reddy, L. R. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NubtDf2T3cAC Inside Afghanistan: end of the Taliban era?]''. APH Publishing, 2002. {{ISBN|81-7648-319-2}}.
* Amy Romano. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=TKUxyVCrYn0C A Historical Atlas of Afghanistan]''. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. {{ISBN|0-8239-3863-8}}.
* Vogelsang, Willem. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=9kfJ6MlMsJQC The Afghans]''. Wiley-Blackwell, 2002. Oxford, UK & Massachusetts, US. {{ISBN|0-631-19841-5}}.

== External links ==
{{commons|People of Afghanistan}}
* [https://www.nsia.gov.af/home National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911010444/https://nsia.gov.af/home |date=11 September 2021 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021012011223/http://www.usaid.gov/afghanistan/ Afghanistan] – USAID
* [https://www.nps.edu/web/ccs/afghanistan1 Afghanistan] – [[Naval Postgraduate School]]
* [https://www.unhcr.org/pakistan.html Afghan refugees in Pakistan] – UNHCR

{{Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
{{Afghanistan topics}}
{{Asia in topic|Demographics of}}
{{Asia topic|Ethnic groups in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demography Of Afghanistan}}
[[Category:Demographics of Afghanistan| ]]