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Afghanistan Population 2025 & Religious Demographics: Trends & Insights
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Afghanistan has the highest Fertility rate (4.6) and population growth rate in Asia. It has a growth rate of 2.3% during 2022-2023. As per the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA), the estimated population of Afghanistan in 2025 is 35,695,527 or 35.7 million.
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Afghanistan Location on Map
| Afghanistan | Census 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Total Population | 35,695,527 (35.7 million) |
| Global Rank | 37 |
| Land Area | 652,230 sq. km (251,830 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 40 |
| Population Density | 55-60 persons/sq. km |
| Fertility Rate | 4.56 |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 44.6 per 1,000 births |
| Median Age | 17.1 – 17.5 years |
| Life Expectancy | 65.98 years |
| Urban Population | 25.8% (9.2 million people) |
Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2024-25
Total Population Estimate:
- The estimated population of Afghanistan for the year 2024-25 is 35.7 million.
- Males: 18.2 million (51.0%).
- Females: 17.5 million (49.0%).
Population Distribution:
- Rural Population: 25.0 million (70.0%).
- Urban Population: 9.2 million (25.8%).
- Nomadic Population (Kuchi): 1.5 million (4.2%) (fixed since 1979 due to lack of census).
Administrative Divisions:
- The estimate includes 34 provinces.
- Covers 391 main districts, 29 temporary districts, and 34 provincial centers.
- Includes 66 cities and 454 administrative units.
Religion in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is an Islamic republic and 80 – 85% of the population follows Sunni Islam. Shia Muslims makeup between 10 – 17% of the population and 0.3% follow other minority religions.
Religion Percentage in Afghanistan
- Sunni Islam: 84.7%
- Shia Islam: 15%
- Others – 0.3%
Minority Religion in Afghanistan
Zoroastrians
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, 2,000 Afghans were identified as Zoroastrians in 1970.
Sikhism in Afghanistan
There are about 1,300 Afghan Sikhs in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Ghazni.
Hinduism in Afghanistan
Historically, the Southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan had long periods of Hindu-Buddhist predominance. There are a little over 600 Hindus living in different cities but mostly in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Ghazni.
Baháʼí Faith
As of 2010, there were approximately 16,500 Baháʼís in Afghanistan.
Christianity
Some unconfirmed reports state that there are 1,000 to 18,000 Afghan Christians practicing their faith secretly in the country.
also read about religion in Asia
Ethnic Composition
Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostly tribal society. The population of the country consists of numerous ethnolinguistic groups. The main four groups are the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek. A further 10 other ethnic groups are recognized and each is represented in the Afghan National Anthem, They are Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Kurds, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui, Qizilbash, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Sadat, and others. Altogether they make up the Afghan people.
Ethnic Percentage
- Pashtuns – 42%
- Tajiks – 27%
- Hazaras – 9%
- Uzbeks – 9%
- Turkmen – 2%
- Baloch – 1%
- Others – 10 %
Source: Various Estimates
Top Cities in Afghanistan by Population
| Rank | City | Est. Pop. 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kabul | 5,140,606 |
| 2 | Kandahar | 1,532,662 |
| 3 | Herat | 1,181,356 |
| 4 | Mazar-i-Sharif | 1,151,298 |
| 5 | Jalalabad | 604,420 |
| 6 | Kunduz | 514,066 |
| 7 | Ghazni | 465,698 |
| 8 | Helmand (Lashkar Gah) | 575,212 |
| 9 | Farah | 294,071 |
| 10 | Balkh | 281,141 |