Country page · Middle East & North Africa
If you were born in Afghanistan
1 in 87 babies · 1.14% of births · about 1,534,851 a year
Right now, about 1.14% of the world's babies are born in Afghanistan — 1 in 87, or roughly 1,534,851 a year and 4,205 a day. Life expectancy there is 66.3 years.
How the 1 in 87 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Afghanistan has about 1,534,851 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 1.14% — 1 in 87. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Afghanistan, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 67.8 · men 64.7 | 66.3 years | 140th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 53.0 / 1,000 | 5.3% | 146th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 48.3 / 1,000 | 4.8% | 158th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 521 | 164th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 4.76 | 164th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 10.2 years | 134th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 10.9% | 131st highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $2,236 | 158th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | — | — |
| People living in cities | 25.9% | 164th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 51.6% | 149th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 16.1% | 164th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 4.0 | 98th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 77.1% | 165th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 0.10% | 102nd highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 22.1% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Afghanistan compared with Middle East & North Africa
Life expectancy in Afghanistan is 66.3 years, against a Middle East & North Africa average of 75.6. The under-5 death rate is 5.3%, versus 2.0% across the region. Income per person is $2,236, against $31,000 regionally; expected schooling is 10.2 years against 12.7. 25.9% of people live in cities, against 74.9% in the region.
| Indicator | Afghanistan | Middle East & North Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 66.3 years old | 75.6 years old | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 5.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $2,236 | $31,000 | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 10.2 years | 12.7 years | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 25.9% | 74.9% | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 66.3 years on average, with roughly 53.0 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 10.2 years of school, and income per person is around $2,236. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Afghanistan
The game draws Afghanistan in about 1 of every 87 births. From there the life runs year by year: 66.3 years of life expectancy on average, a 5.3% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $2,236 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Yemen — 1 in 93
- Chance of being born in Iraq — 1 in 112
- Chance of being born in Egypt — 1 in 54
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Afghanistan?
What is life expectancy in Afghanistan?
How many babies are born in Afghanistan each year?
Is Afghanistan a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.