Urban population in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Urban population was 25.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Afghanistan, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Afghanistan stood at 25.9%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Afghanistan peaked at 25.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 1960.
Afghanistan ranks 204th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.1% | — |
| 1961 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 1962 | 8.7% | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 8.9% | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 9.2% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 10.2% | +3.3% |
| 1968 | 10.5% | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 10.8% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 11.2% | +3.5% |
| 1971 | 11.7% | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 12.2% | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 12.7% | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 13.2% | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 13.8% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 14.3% | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 14.7% | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 15.1% | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 15.4% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 15.7% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 16.3% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 16.6% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 16.8% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 16.9% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 17.0% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 17.3% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 17.4% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 17.5% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 17.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 18.0% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 18.4% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 18.7% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 19.2% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 20.1% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 20.6% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 21.1% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 23.3% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 23.8% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 24.2% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 24.8% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 25.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 25.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 25.3% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 25.3% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 25.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 25.5% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 25.7% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 25.9% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.4% | 8.1% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.5% | 15.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 17.3% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.8% | 18.6% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 22.3% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.5% | 25.3% | 25.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More climate change data for Afghanistan
- 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)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 44.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Afghanistan?
- Urban population in Afghanistan was 25.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 1960.
- How does Afghanistan rank for urban population?
- Afghanistan ranks 204th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.