Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 11.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan stood at 11.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan peaked at 13.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1960.
Afghanistan ranks 106th of 121 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.2% | — |
| 1961 | 3.3% | +3.2% |
| 1962 | 3.4% | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 3.5% | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 3.6% | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 3.7% | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 3.8% | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 3.9% | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 4.0% | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 4.1% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 4.2% | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 4.3% | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 4.5% | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 4.7% | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 5.0% | +5.8% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | +5.9% |
| 1976 | 5.6% | +6.1% |
| 1977 | 5.9% | +6.2% |
| 1978 | 6.3% | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 6.8% | +8.0% |
| 1980 | 7.4% | +8.7% |
| 1981 | 8.6% | +15.7% |
| 1982 | 9.8% | +13.9% |
| 1983 | 10.3% | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 10.6% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 10.9% | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 11.4% | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 11.9% | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 12.3% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 12.5% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 12.9% | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 13.2% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 12.7% | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 11.8% | -7.2% |
| 1994 | 11.4% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 11.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 11.4% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 11.5% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 11.6% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 12.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 12.0% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 11.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 11.8% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 11.5% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 11.3% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 11.0% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 11.0% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 11.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 10.9% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 10.8% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 10.8% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 11.1% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 11.1% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 11.1% | +0.3% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 11.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 12.1%, 92% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 11.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 24.5%, 45% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.3% | 4.2% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.6% | 7.4% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 11.3% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.0% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More climate change data for Afghanistan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 79.22 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,854 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,965 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 17,889 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 22.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 638.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,345 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,090 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,255 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.11 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Afghanistan was 11.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1960.
- How does Afghanistan rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Afghanistan ranks 106th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.