Birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Birth rates and death rates was 5.8 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 5.8 for birth rates and death rates in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan peaked at 37.42 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.8, in 2023.
That places Afghanistan 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 37.42 | — |
| 1951 | 36.65 | -2.1% |
| 1952 | 36.06 | -1.6% |
| 1953 | 35.53 | -1.5% |
| 1954 | 35.23 | -0.8% |
| 1955 | 34.43 | -2.3% |
| 1956 | 33.91 | -1.5% |
| 1957 | 33.31 | -1.7% |
| 1958 | 32.77 | -1.6% |
| 1959 | 32.19 | -1.8% |
| 1960 | 31.67 | -1.6% |
| 1961 | 31.13 | -1.7% |
| 1962 | 30.63 | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 30.17 | -1.5% |
| 1964 | 29.67 | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 29.19 | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 28.73 | -1.6% |
| 1967 | 28.27 | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 27.8 | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 27.33 | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 26.84 | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 26.38 | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 25.88 | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 25.36 | -2.0% |
| 1974 | 24.89 | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 24.4 | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 23.93 | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 23.4 | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 24.17 | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 25.54 | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 25.71 | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 26.41 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 28.03 | +6.1% |
| 1983 | 27.01 | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 32.01 | +18.5% |
| 1985 | 31.7 | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 25.04 | -21.0% |
| 1987 | 24.62 | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 20.61 | -16.3% |
| 1989 | 19.58 | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 19.48 | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 18.78 | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 17.17 | -8.6% |
| 1993 | 14.61 | -14.9% |
| 1994 | 14.93 | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 14.4 | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 13.93 | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 13.65 | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 13.89 | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 12.7 | -8.6% |
| 2000 | 12.61 | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 11.95 | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 11.19 | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 10.71 | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 10.38 | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 9.91 | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 9.66 | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 9.49 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 8.88 | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 8.64 | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 8.4 | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 8.03 | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 7.82 | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 7.6 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 7.51 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 7.53 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 7.32 | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 7.32 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 7.27 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 7.06 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 7.57 | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 8 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 5.99 | -25.1% |
| 2023 | 5.8 | -3.3% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 5.8 is below the median for low income countries, which is 7.05, 82% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 5.8 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.04, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -25.1% | 8 | 5.99 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.75 | 32.19 | 37.42 | 10 |
| 1960s | 29.46 | 27.33 | 31.67 | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.08 | 23.4 | 26.84 | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.07 | 19.58 | 32.01 | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.35 | 12.7 | 19.48 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.34 | 8.64 | 12.61 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.59 | 7.06 | 8.4 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.84 | 5.8 | 8 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 14,735 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0804 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan?
- Birth rates and death rates in Afghanistan was 5.8 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rates and death rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 37.42 in 1950.
- What is the lowest birth rates and death rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8 in 2023.
- How does Afghanistan rank for birth rates and death rates?
- Afghanistan ranks 185th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rates and death rates rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rates and death rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).