Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Urban population, per square kilometre was 16.19 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
16.19 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
172nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
16.19 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
1.19 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan, 1961–2023

051015196119922023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan is 16.19 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 40.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan peaked at 16.19 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.19 units per square kilometre, in 1961.

Afghanistan ranks 172nd of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan, 1961 to 2023.
Year units per square kilometre Change
1961 1.19 units per square kilometre
1962 1.25 units per square kilometre +5.4%
1963 1.32 units per square kilometre +5.4%
1964 1.39 units per square kilometre +5.5%
1965 1.47 units per square kilometre +5.6%
1966 1.55 units per square kilometre +5.6%
1967 1.64 units per square kilometre +5.7%
1968 1.73 units per square kilometre +5.8%
1969 1.83 units per square kilometre +5.9%
1970 1.94 units per square kilometre +6.1%
1971 2.07 units per square kilometre +6.4%
1972 2.21 units per square kilometre +6.8%
1973 2.37 units per square kilometre +7.0%
1974 2.53 units per square kilometre +6.9%
1975 2.7 units per square kilometre +6.6%
1976 2.86 units per square kilometre +6.0%
1977 3.02 units per square kilometre +5.4%
1978 3.16 units per square kilometre +4.7%
1979 3.23 units per square kilometre +2.3%
1980 3.17 units per square kilometre -2.0%
1981 2.91 units per square kilometre -8.1%
1982 2.71 units per square kilometre -6.7%
1983 2.73 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1984 2.82 units per square kilometre +3.6%
1985 2.91 units per square kilometre +3.1%
1986 2.94 units per square kilometre +0.8%
1987 2.95 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1988 3.01 units per square kilometre +1.9%
1989 3.12 units per square kilometre +3.8%
1990 3.19 units per square kilometre +2.1%
1991 3.26 units per square kilometre +2.3%
1992 3.56 units per square kilometre +9.2%
1993 4.03 units per square kilometre +13.3%
1994 4.41 units per square kilometre +9.5%
1995 4.67 units per square kilometre +5.7%
1996 4.89 units per square kilometre +4.8%
1997 5.12 units per square kilometre +4.6%
1998 5.36 units per square kilometre +4.7%
1999 5.61 units per square kilometre +4.7%
2000 5.73 units per square kilometre +2.1%
2001 5.83 units per square kilometre +1.8%
2002 6.21 units per square kilometre +6.5%
2003 6.68 units per square kilometre +7.6%
2004 7.01 units per square kilometre +4.9%
2005 7.37 units per square kilometre +5.2%
2006 7.84 units per square kilometre +6.3%
2007 8.18 units per square kilometre +4.3%
2008 8.58 units per square kilometre +4.9%
2009 9.13 units per square kilometre +6.5%
2010 9.65 units per square kilometre +5.7%
2011 10.27 units per square kilometre +6.4%
2012 10.94 units per square kilometre +6.5%
2013 11.54 units per square kilometre +5.5%
2014 12.16 units per square kilometre +5.4%
2015 12.69 units per square kilometre +4.3%
2016 13.12 units per square kilometre +3.4%
2017 13.59 units per square kilometre +3.6%
2018 14.08 units per square kilometre +3.6%
2019 14.59 units per square kilometre +3.6%
2020 15.13 units per square kilometre +3.7%
2021 15.55 units per square kilometre +2.7%
2022 15.8 units per square kilometre +1.6%
2023 16.19 units per square kilometre +2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.48 units per square kilometre 1.19 units per square kilometre 1.83 units per square kilometre 9
1970s 2.61 units per square kilometre 1.94 units per square kilometre 3.23 units per square kilometre 10
1980s 2.93 units per square kilometre 2.71 units per square kilometre 3.17 units per square kilometre 10
1990s 4.41 units per square kilometre 3.19 units per square kilometre 5.61 units per square kilometre 10
2000s 7.26 units per square kilometre 5.73 units per square kilometre 9.13 units per square kilometre 10
2010s 12.26 units per square kilometre 9.65 units per square kilometre 14.59 units per square kilometre 10
2020s 15.67 units per square kilometre 15.13 units per square kilometre 16.19 units per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 169 Madagascar 17.15 units per square kilometre compare
  2. 170 Zimbabwe 16.6 units per square kilometre compare
  3. 171 New Zealand 16.57 units per square kilometre compare
  4. 173 Somalia 15.82 units per square kilometre compare
  5. 174 Faroe Islands 15.56 units per square kilometre compare
  6. 175 Argentina 15.34 units per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

More climate change data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan?
Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan was 16.19 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 16.19 units per square kilometre in 2023.
What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 1.19 units per square kilometre in 1961.
How does Afghanistan rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
Afghanistan ranks 172nd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Urban population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/urban-population-per-square-kilometre/afghanistan/

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How this figure is calculated

Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Urban population ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Urban population, per square kilometre
Unit
units per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
264 places, 15,342 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.