Demographics of Afghanistan

This article is about the population of the country of Afghanistan. For ethnic groups, see Ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

Demographics of Afghanistan
Afghanistan population pyramid in 2020
Population	41,454,761 [1] (2023)
Growth rate	+2.85% (2023) [2]
Birth rate	35.44/1000 (2023) [3]
Death rate	5.80/1000 (2023) [4]
Life expectancy	59.1 years at birth (2021) [1]
Fertility rate	4.84 children per woman (2023) [5]
Infant mortality rate	▼44.0/1000 (2023) [6]
Nationality
Nationality	Afghan
Major ethnic	Iranian Tajiks Pamiris Other Tajiks Pashtuns Baloch Shughni Turkic Uzbeks Hazara Turkmen Kyrgyz
Minor ethnic	Indo-Aryan Pashayis Nuristani Kalash (negligible) Other Nuristanis Gujjars Dravidian Brahui Isolated Burusho Other Isolates Semitic Localized Arabs Others Unidentified Localized Soviets

Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates

The population of Afghanistan is around 49.5 million as of 2025. ^[7] The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between Central Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia. Ethnic groups in the country include Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, as well as smaller groups such as Baloch, Nuristani, Turkmen, Aimaq, Mongol and some others which are less known. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]} Together they make up the contemporary Afghan people.

Approximately 43% of the population is under 15 years of age, and 74% of all Afghans live in rural areas. ^[15] The average woman gives birth to five children during her entire life, the highest fertility rate outside of Africa. About 6.8% of all babies die in child-birth or infancy. ^[15] The average life expectancy of the nation was reported in 2019 at around 63 years, ^{[16] [17]} and only 0.04% of the population has HIV. ^[13]

Pashto (پښتو) and Dari are the official languages of the country. ^[18] Dari functions as the inter-ethnic lingua franca for the vast majority. Pashto is widely used in the regions south of the Hindu Kush mountains and as far as the Indus River in neighbouring Pakistan. Uzbek and Turkmen are smaller languages spoken in parts of the north. ^[13] Multilingualism is common throughout the country, especially in the major cities.

Up to 69.7% of the population practices Sunni Islam and belongs to the Hanafi Islamic law school, while 30–35% are followers of Shia Islam; ^{[13] [19]} the majority of whom belong to the Twelver branch, with smaller numbers of Ismailis. The remaining 0.3% practice other religions such as Sikhism and Hinduism. Excluding urban populations in the principal cities, most people are organised into tribal and other kinship-based groups, who follow their own traditional customs.

Population size and structure

Further information: 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." ^[20]

Historical

Sport fans inside the Ghazi Stadium in the capital of Kabul, which is 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). ^[21] Previously there had been scattered attempts to conduct censuses in individual cities. ^[22] According to the 1876 census, Kabul had a population of 140,700 people. ^[23] 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. ^[24]

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 million, which presumably included the exodus. ^[25]

It is assumed that roughly 600,000 to as high as 2 million Afghans may have been killed during the various 1979–2001 wars. ^[26] 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. ^[25]

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, ^{[13] [27]} which includes the 3 million Afghan nationals living in both Pakistan and Iran. ^[28] About 26% of the population is urbanite and the remaining 74% lives in rural areas. ^[13]

Afghanistan's Central Statistics Organization (CSO) stated in 2011 that the total number of Afghans living inside Afghanistan was about 26 million ^[28] and by 2017 it reached 29.2 million. Of this, 15 million are males and 14.2 million are females. ^[29] The country's population is expected to reach 82 million by 2050. ^[30]

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

Structure of the population

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 million nomads, are not included): ^[31]

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.):

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	13,044,400	12,455,700	25,500,100	100
0–4	2,422,244	2,556,304	4,978,548	19.52
5–9	1,941,363	1,880,407	3,821,770	14.99
10–14	1,556,158	1,401,695	2,957,853	11.60
15–19	1,276,563	1,140,810	2,417,373	9.48
20–24	1,059,939	1,009,807	2,069,746	8.12
25–29	843 967	864 738	1,708,705	6.70
30–34	678 577	745 534	1,424,111	5.58
35–39	598 045	652 326	1,250,371	4.90
40–44	546 102	533 524	1,079,626	4.23
45–49	495 190	440 789	935 979	3.67
50–54	435 143	354 633	789 776	3.10
55–59	360 394	275 468	635 862	2.49
60–64	281 627	209 152	490 779	1.92
65–69	204 376	150 137	354 513	1.39
70–74	141 729	102 048	243 777	0.96
75–79	91 164	64 658	155 822	0.61
80–84	55 446	38 699	94 145	0.37
85+	56 373	34 971	91 344	0.36
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	5,919,765	5,838,406	11,758,171	46.11
15–64	6,575,547	6,226,781	12,802,328	50.21
65+	549 088	390 513	939 601	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.): ^[32]

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	15,981,303	15,408,868	31,390,171	100
0–4	2,853,288	2,743,103	5,596,391	17.83
5–9	2,542,405	2,379,618	4,922,023	15.68
10–14	2,220,065	2,026,796	4,246,861	13.53
15–19	1,840,432	1,727,287	3,567,719	11.37
20–24	1,371,188	1,463,797	2,834,985	9.03
25–29	1,079,117	1,177,555	2,256,672	7.19
30–34	828 055	818 313	1,646,368	5.24
35–39	674 920	661 949	1,336,869	4.26
40–44	577 135	611 016	1,188,151	3.79
45–49	480 700	511 608	992 308	3.16
50–54	381 772	396 026	777 798	2.48
55–59	320 024	308 966	628 990	2.00
60–64	286 732	229 605	516 337	1.64
65–69	222 590	161 851	384 441	1.22
70–74	150 436	99 412	249 848	0.80
75–79	70 271	42 288	112 559	0.36
80–84	48 540	26 549	75 089	0.24
85+	33 633	23 129	56 762	0.18
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	7,615,758	7,149,517	14,765,275	47.04
15–64	7,840,075	7,906,122	15,746,197	50.16
65+	525 470	353 229	878 699	2.80

Vital statistics

UN estimates

Period	Population	Live births	Deaths	Rate of Natural change %	Crude Migration rate (per 1000)	CBR1	CDR1	NC1	TFR1	Life expectancy (in years)	IMR1
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%	0.2	49.1	37.3	11.8	7.26	27.96	283.6
1952	7,667,534	378,290	280,803	+1.27%	−0.2	49.3	36.6	12.7	7.26	28.45	278.8
1953	7,764,549	384,933	279,684	+1.35%	−1.0	49.5	36.0	13.5	7.27	28.93	273.9
1954	7,864,289	390,412	280,476	+1.40%	−1.3	49.6	35.6	14.0	7.25	29.23	269.4
1955	7,971,933	397,156	277,695	+1.50%	−1.5	49.8	34.8	15.0	7.26	29.92	264.1
1956	8,087,730	404,134	277,328	+1.57%	−1.4	49.9	34.3	15.7	7.27	30.41	259.3
1957	8,210,207	410,977	276,560	+1.64%	−1.5	50.0	33.7	16.4	7.26	30.95	254.4
1958	8,333,827	418,266	275,681	+1.71%	−2.3	50.1	33.0	17.1	7.27	31.51	249.5
1959	8,468,220	425,334	274,920	+1.78%	−1.9	50.2	32.5	17.8	7.28	32.04	244.9
1960	8,622,473	434,057	275,239	+1.84%	−0.5	50.3	31.9	18.4	7.28	32.54	240.5
1961	8,790,140	443,319	275,508	+1.91%	0	50.4	31.3	19.1	7.28	33.07	236.2
1962	8,969,055	453,468	276,593	+1.97%	0.2	50.6	30.8	19.7	7.29	33.55	232.2
1963	9,157,463	464,225	277,961	+2.03%	0.3	50.7	30.4	20.3	7.30	34.02	228.2
1964	9,355,510	475,452	279,368	+2.10%	0.2	50.8	29.9	21.0	7.30	34.49	224.3
1965	9,565,154	486,406	281,003	+2.15%	0.4	50.9	29.4	21.5	7.31	34.95	220.6
1966	9,783,153	498,801	282,463	+2.21%	0.2	51.0	28.9	22.1	7.32	35.45	216.6
1967	10,010,037	511,245	284,203	+2.27%	0.0	51.1	28.4	22.7	7.34	35.92	212.9
1968	10,247,782	524,167	285,867	+2.33%	−0.1	51.1	27.9	23.3	7.36	36.42	209.1
1969	10,494,491	537,318	287,557	+2.38%	−0.3	51.2	27.4	23.8	7.39	36.91	205.3
1970	10,752,973	549,695	288,979	+2.42%	−0.2	51.1	26.9	24.2	7.40	37.42	201.5
1971	11,015,853	564,040	290,646	+2.48%	−0.9	51.2	26.4	24.8	7.43	37.92	197.7
1972	11,286,753	577,071	291,819	+2.53%	−1.3	51.1	25.8	25.3	7.45	38.44	194.0
1973	11,575,308	591,855	292,915	+2.58%	−0.9	51.1	25.3	25.8	7.49	39.00	190.1
1974	11,869,881	607,606	294,363	+2.64%	−1.6	51.1	24.8	26.4	7.53	39.55	186.2
1975	12,157,390	621,494	295,301	+2.68%	−3.2	51.0	24.2	26.8	7.54	40.10	182.2
1976	12,425,276	635,188	295,770	+2.72%	−5.6	50.9	23.7	27.2	7.56	40.65	178.3
1977	12,687,308	648,307	295,112	+2.77%	−7.0	50.9	23.2	27.7	7.59	41.23	174.2
1978	12,938,864	660,606	310,376	+2.69%	−7.5	50.8	23.9	26.9	7.60	40.27	172.7
1979	12,986,378	671,213	328,042	+2.64%	−22.7	50.7	24.8	25.9	7.61	39.09	171.7
1980	12,486,640	660,892	316,937	+2.75%	−67.5	50.5	24.2	26.3	7.59	39.62	167.8
1981	11,155,196	614,273	288,555	+2.92%	−148.6	50.3	23.6	26.7	7.57	40.16	163.6
1982	10,088,290	520,603.03	266,040	+2.52%	−131.0	50.1	25.6	24.5	7.55	37.77	165.2
1983	9,951,447	503,887	252,318	+2.50%	−38.8	50.1	25.1	25.0	7.54	38.19	161.4
1984	10,243,689	506,571	302,824	+2.02%	8.3	50.2	30.0	20.2	7.51	33.33	169.7
1985	10,512,220	536,861	314,987	+2.09%	4.6	50.6	29.7	20.9	7.52	33.55	166.4
1986	10,448,447	541,017	252,810	+2.76%	−33.7	50.7	23.7	27.0	7.52	39.40	150.3
1987	10,322,767	535,214	245,107	+2.81%	−40.3	50.8	23.3	27.6	7.53	39.84	146.5
1988	10,383,459	531,795	208,051	+3.10%	−25.2	51.0	19.9	31.0	7.53	43.96	136.0
1989	10,673,172	546,142	203,321	+3.21%	−5.0	51.2	19.0	32.1	7.53	45.16	131.1
1990	10,694,804	567,256	203,514	+3.40%	−32.0	51.4	18.4	33.0	7.56	45.97	127.0
1991	10,745,168	555,610	192,531	+3.38%	−29.1	51.8	17.9	33.8	7.61	46.66	123.4
1992	12,057,436	578,891	191,913	+3.21%	76.7	51.9	17.2	34.7	7.66	47.60	118.3
1993	14,003,764	698,469	199,165	+3.57%	103.3	52.0	14.8	37.2	7.72	51.47	110.8
1994	15,455,560	789,282	222,214	+3.67%	57.2	52.2	14.7	37.5	7.72	51.50	107.0
1995	16,418,911	853,355	230,943	+3.80%	20.7	52.1	14.1	38.0	7.71	52.54	104.2
1996	17,106,600	886,917	232,991	+3.82%	2.0	51.9	13.6	38.2	7.71	53.24	101.2
1997	17,788,818	914,412	237,216	+3.81%	0.3	51.4	13.3	38.1	7.67	53.63	98.9
1998	18,493,134	940,233	250,677	+3.73%	0.8	50.9	13.6	37.3	7.64	52.94	97.0
1999	19,262,854	967,977"	239,604	+3.79%	2.1	50.4	12.5	37.9	7.60	54.85	93.4
2000	19,542,986	995,813	242,535	+3.76%	−23.3	49.7	12.1	37.6	7.53	55.30	90.8
2001	19,688,634	969,246	231,795	+3.73%	−29.9	49.0	11.7	37.3	7.45	55.80	88.4
2002	21,000,258	980,458	229,450	+3.58%	26.7	48.2	11.3	36.9	7.34	56.45	85.8
2003	22,645,136	1,063,246	240,215	+3.63%	36.3	47.4	10.7	36.7	7.22	57.34	82.6
2004	23,553,554	1,097,160	243,367	+3.61%	2.5	46.3	10.3	36.1	7.07	57.94	79.9
2005	24,411,196	1,099,366	241,454	+3.53%	−0.2	45.3	9.9	35.3	6.91	58.36	77.5
2006	25,442,946	1,136,774	246,037	+3.50%	5.6	44.7	9.7	35.0	6.72	58.68	74.9
2007	25,903,306	1,156,957	246,898	+3.51%	−17.3	43.9	9.4	34.5	6.53	59.11	71.9
2008	26,427,204	1,091,824	232,339	+3.27%	−12.9	41.5	8.8	32.7	6.38	59.85	69.2
2009	27,385,310	1,128,666	234,065	+3.26%	2.4	41.2	8.5	32.6	6.24	60.36	67.2
2010	28,189,672	1,147,643	233,308	+3.23%	−3.8	40.6	8.3	32.3	6.10	60.85	64.8
2011	29,249,156	1,157,518	230,346	+3.19%	4.3	39.9	7.9	31.9	5.96	61.42	62.3
2012	30,466,484	1,217,396	234,629	+3.23%	7.7	40.0	7.7	32.3	5.83	61.92	60.0
2013	31,541,216	1,248,455	235,744	+3.21%	2.0	39.6	7.5	32.1	5.70	62.42	57.8
2014	32,716,214	1,274,665	241,055	+3.17%	4.2	39.1	7.4	31.7	5.56	62.55	56.3
2015	33,753,500	1,315,633	248,560	+3.15%	−0.8	38.8	7.3	31.5	5.41	62.66	54.5
2016	34,636,212	1,315,746	245,452	+3.09%	−5.4	37.9	7.1	30.9	5.26	63.14	52.5
2017	35,643,420	1,332,116	250,677	+3.03%	−2.0	37.3	7.0	30.3	5.13	63.02	49.4
2018	36,686,788	1,355,895	256,314	+2.99%	−1.5	36.9	7.0	29.9	5.00	63.08	47.8
2019	37,769,496	1,377,704	256,564	+2.97%	−1.0	36.5	6.8	29.7	4.87	63.57	46.7
2020	38,972,236	1,402,265	276,683	+2.89%	2.0	36.1	7.1	28.9	4.75	62.58	45.8
2021	40,099,460	1,440,941	295,236	+2.85%	−0.4	35.8	7.3	28.5	4.64	61.98	44.7
2022	41,128,771			+2.82%	−3.2	35.14	6.91	28.23	4.52	62.88	44.8
2023	42,239,854								4.41	64.23	37.7
1CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births
Source: [33]

Demographic and Health Surveys

Afghanistan 2024 total fertility rate has been estimated at 4.4. ^[34] In 2022 it was 4.5, about twice the world average rate. ^[35] The rate has fallen since the early 1980s. ^[36]

Crude Birth Rate (CBR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Wanted Fertility Rate (WFR): ^[37]

year	crude birth rate (CBR)			total fertility rate (TFR)			wanted fertility rate (WFR)
	total	urban	rural	total	urban	rural	total	urban	rural
2010	35.6	34.7	35.9	5.1	4.5	5.2
2015	36.8	35.8	37.1	5.3	4.8	5.4	4.4	3.7	4.6
2022–23	36.0	32.0	38.0	5.4	4.3	5.8

Fertility data by province in 2015 DHS Survey ^[38] and 2022–23 MICS Survey: ^[39]

Province	TFR
	2015	2023
Afghanistan	5.3	5.4
Kabul	4.6	3.8
Kapisa	4.8	5.6
Parwan	5.7	5.0
Wardak	4.2	5.3
Logar	4.2	6.2
Nangarhar	6.4	5.6
Laghman	7.3	6.2
Panjshir	3.2	3.5
Baghlan	4.4	5.4
Bamyan	5.4	4.2
Ghazni	2.8	5.6
Paktika	5.3	6.3
Paktia	5.2	5.7
Khost	5.6	5.3
Kunar	6.8	6.4
Nuristan	8.9	5.6
Badakhshan	5.3	5.1
Takhar	5.7	5.9
Kunduz	4.4	6.4
Samangan	5.1	4.3
Balkh	5.5	4.9
Sar-e Pol	4.8	5.5
Ghor	5.8	4.8
Daykundi	5.2	4.8
Urozgan	8.8	5.6
Zabul	5.1	7.8
Kandahar	6.5	6.3
Jawzjan	3.9	5.5
Faryab	6.2	6.4
Helmand	4.7	7.3
Badghis	6.6	5.8
Herat	4.8	4.4
Farah	5.4	7.1
Nimruz	5.4	6.2

Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan

Period	Life expectancy in Years	Period	Life expectancy in 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 ^[40]

Gathering of students in 2006 at a school in Nangarhar Province.

Ethnic groups

Further information: Ethnic groups in Afghanistan

An approximate distribution of the ethnolinguistic groups are listed in the chart below:^{[ citation needed ]}

A CIA map showing the various Afghan tribal territories in 2005

Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan in 2001

Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan in 1982

Ethnic groups in Afghanistan based on alternative estimates

Ethnic group	Image	2024 estimate based on native mother tongue [41]	2023 estimate based on native mother tongue [42]	2013 estimate [43]	Pre-2004 estimates [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50]
Pashtun		55%	52.4%	52%	48–70%
Tajik		25% [A]	32.1% [B]	27%	12–35%
Hazara				9%	3–10%
Uzbek		7%	8.8%	9%	6–8%
Aimak		–	–	4%	–
Turkmen		3%	1.9%	3%	2–2.5%
Baloch		1%	0.9%	2%	–
Others (Pashai, Nuristani, Arab, Brahui, Qizilbash, Pamiri, etc.)		11%	3.9%	4%	1–12%

1. This number represents Dari Persian native speakers including Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaks, Qizilbash and other smaller ethnicities.
2. This number represents Dari Persian native speakers including Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaks, Qizilbash and other smaller ethnicities.

The recent estimate in the above chart is somewhat supported by the below national opinion polls, 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 surveys were conducted between 2004 and 2015 by the 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. ^{[51] [52]}

Answers regarding ethnicity provided by 804 to 13,943 Afghans in national opinion polls

Ethnic group	"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2004) [52] "A survey of the Afghan people" (2004) [51]	"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2005) [52]	"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2006) [52]	"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2007) [52]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2007) [51]	"Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2009) [52]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2012) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2014) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2018) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2019) [51]
Pashtun	56%	50%	52%	48%	50.1%	50%	50%	50%	48%	49%
Tajik	29%	27%	27%	28%	25.1%	27%	23%	26%	27%	27%
Hazara	6%	13%	12%	6%	10.0%	11%	11%	10%	10%	11%
Uzbek	6%	6%	5%	6%	8.1%	7%	9%	8%	9%	8%
Aimak	0%	0%	0%	0%	0.8%	0%	1%	1%	1%	<0.5%
Turkmen	1%	1%	3%	2%	3.1%	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%
Baloch	0%	0%	0%	3%	0.7%	1%	1%	1%	1%	<0.5%
Others (Pashayi, Nuristani, Kurdish, Arab, Qizilbash.)	3%	3%	1%	5%	2.1%	3%	3%	2%	2%	3%
Don't know	-%	-%	-%	-%	-%	-%	-%	-%	1%	-%

Languages

Dari and Pashto are both official languages of Afghanistan. ^[18]

Uzbek and Turkmen are spoken as native languages in northern provinces, mainly among the Uzbeks and Turkmens. Smaller number of Afghans are also fluent in English, Urdu, Balochi, Arabic and other languages. An approximate distribution of languages spoken in the country is shown in the chart below:

Languages of Afghanistan

Language	Recent estimate including both L1 and L2 speakers [53]	Pre-1992 estimates [45] [54] [55]
Dari (incl. Eastern, Kabuli, Hazaragi & Aimaqi)	77%	25–35% (L1)
Pashto (incl. Northern and Southern)	48%	50–55% (L1) <10% (L2)
Turkic languages (incl. Uzbek and Turkmen)	11% (Uzbek) 3% (Turkmen)	11% (L1)
other indigenous languages (incl. Pashayi, Balochi, Nuristani)	1% (Pashayi) 1% (Balochi) 1% (Nuristani)	4% (L1)
other non-indigenous languages	6% English 3% Urdu 1% Arabic
1note: 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: 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 [53]

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%). ^{[51] [52]}

Religion

Main article: Religion in Afghanistan

Religion in Afghanistan (2015) [56]
Religion			Percent
Sunni Islam			89.7%
Shia Islam			10%
others			0.3%

Afghan politicians and foreign diplomats praying at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

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 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. ^[57]

• Islam : 99.7% of the total population
  • Sunni Muslim: 84.7–89.7% ^{[13] [19]}
  • Shia Muslim: 7 ^[19] -15% ^{[13] [19]}
• others : 0.3%
  • Baha'is In the hundreds
  • Sikhism: In the hundreds
  • Hinduism: In the hundreds
  • Zoroastrianism: Unknown/unreported
  • Christianity: Unknown
  • Judaism: 0 ^{[58] [59]}
  • Buddhism: Unknown

National opinion polls (religion)

Religion	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2004) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2006) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2007) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2008) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2009) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2010) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2011) [51]	"A survey of the Afghan people" (2012) [51]
Sunni Islam	92%	"	87.3%	"	"	"	"	"
Shia Islam	7%	"	12.3%	"	"	"	"	"
Ismailism	1%	"	0.4%	"	"	"	"	"
Hinduism	0%	"	0.1%	"	"	"	"	"
Buddhism	0%	"	0%	"	"	"	"	"
Sikhism	0%	"	0%	"	"	"	"	"

See also

• Afghanistan portal

Main articles: Health in Afghanistan, Healthcare in Afghanistan, and Education in Afghanistan

• Culture of Afghanistan
• Baloch of Afghanistan
• Turks in Afghanistan
• Tajiks in Afghanistan
• Afghan Turkmens
• Afghan Kurds

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45. "The World Factbok – Afghanistan". The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agency. University of Missouri. 15 October 1991. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 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
46. "Ethnic Groups". Library of Congress Country Studies. 1997. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2010. In 1996, approximately 40 percent of Afghans were Pashtun, 11.4 of whom are of the Durrani tribal group and 13.8 percent of the Ghilzai group. Tajiks make up the second largest ethnic group with 25.3 percent of the population, followed by Hazaras, 18 percent; Uzbeks, 6.3 percent; Turkmen, 2.5 percent; Qizilbash, 1.0; 6.9 percent other. The usual caveat regarding statistics is particularly appropriate here.
47. "PEOPLE – Ethnic divisions". The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agencyu. University of Missouri. 22 January 1993. Archived from the original on 9 October 1999. Retrieved 20 March 2011. Pashtun 48%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 10%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others
48. Mobasher, Mohammad Bashir. Political Laws and Ethnic Accommodation: Why Cross-Ethnic Coalitions Have Failed to Institutionalize in Afghanistan. Diss. 2017, p. 42. Link:
49. Hawthorne, Susan; Winter, Bronwyn (2002). 11 September 2001: feminist perspectives. Spinifex Press. p. 225. ISBN   1-876756-27-6 . Retrieved 24 September 2010. Over 60 percent of the population in Afghanistan is Pashtun...
50. [Brown, Keith; Ogilvie, Sarah (2009). Concise encyclopedia of languages of the world. Elsevie. p. 845. ISBN   978-0-08-087774-7 . Retrieved 24 September 2010. Pashto, which is mainly spoken south of the mountain range of the Hindu Kush, is reportedly the mother tongue of 60% of the Afghan population.]
51. See:
    • "Afghanistan in 2019 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. p. 277. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021. D-14. Which ethnic group do you belong to?
    • "Afghanistan in 2018 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. p. 243. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2018. D-14. WHICH ETHNIC GROUP DO YOU BELONG TO?
    • "Afghanistan in 2012 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. p. 182. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012. Ethnicity Status
    • "Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2010. pp. 225–226. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 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%
    • "Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012. The 2009 survey interviewed 6,406 Afghans (53% men and 47% women)
    • "Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012. The 2008 survey interviewed 6,593 Afghans...
    • "Afghanistan in 2007 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2010. pp. 225–226. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 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%
    • "Afghanistan in 2006 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. pp. 83–88. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012. 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
    • "Afghanistan in 2004 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012. 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%.
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Further reading

• Banting, Erinn. Afghanistan the People . Crabtree Publishing Company, 2003. ISBN   0-7787-9336-2.
• Caroe, Olaf (1958). The Pathans: 500 B.C.-A.D. 1957 . Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints. Oxford University Press, 1983. ISBN   0-19-577221-0.
• Dupree, Nancy Hatch. An Historical Guide to Afghanistan . 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Air Authority, Afghan Tourist Organization, 1977.
• Elphinstone, Mountstuart. 1819. 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.
• Habibi, Abdul Hai. 2003. "Afghanistan: An Abridged History." Fenestra Books. ISBN   1-58736-169-8.
• Hopkins, B. D. 2008. The Making of Modern Afghanistan . Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. ISBN   0-230-55421-0.
• Reddy, L. R. Inside Afghanistan: end of the Taliban era? . APH Publishing, 2002. ISBN   81-7648-319-2.
• Amy Romano. A Historical Atlas of Afghanistan . The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. ISBN   0-8239-3863-8.
• Vogelsang, Willem. The Afghans . Wiley-Blackwell, 2002. Oxford, UK & Massachusetts, US. ISBN   0-631-19841-5.

External links

• National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA) Archived 11 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Afghanistan – USAID
• Afghanistan – Naval Postgraduate School
• Afghan refugees in Pakistan – UNHCR