Number of deaths in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Number of deaths was 240,296 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
240,296
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
39th
of 229 countries
All-time high
362,220
in 1985
All-time low
218,356
in 1993
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of deaths in Afghanistan, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 240,296 for number of deaths in 2023.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of deaths in Afghanistan peaked at 362,220 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 218,356, in 1993.
Afghanistan ranks 39th of 229 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Number of deaths in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 290,972 | — |
| 1951 | 288,752 | -0.8% |
| 1952 | 288,059 | -0.2% |
| 1953 | 287,712 | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 289,189 | +0.5% |
| 1955 | 286,725 | -0.9% |
| 1956 | 286,654 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 286,114 | -0.2% |
| 1958 | 285,911 | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 285,500 | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 286,159 | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 286,818 | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 288,056 | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 289,745 | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 291,215 | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 292,987 | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 294,993 | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 296,952 | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 299,051 | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 301,153 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 302,998 | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 305,182 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 306,798 | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 308,381 | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 310,341 | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 311,727 | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 312,570 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 312,222 | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 329,013 | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 348,735 | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 338,526 | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 315,307 | -6.9% |
| 1982 | 308,039 | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 294,923 | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 358,183 | +21.4% |
| 1985 | 362,220 | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 285,998 | -21.0% |
| 1987 | 280,336 | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 237,449 | -15.3% |
| 1989 | 232,518 | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 234,647 | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 229,891 | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 228,005 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 218,356 | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 242,610 | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 245,793 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 247,403 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 251,885 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 266,055 | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 252,505 | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 253,804 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 242,473 | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 239,161 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 243,573 | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 244,435 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 241,932 | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 245,586 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 245,809 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 235,284 | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 237,450 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 237,640 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 235,724 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 239,042 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 240,239 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 246,289 | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 254,689 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 254,007 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 261,084 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 267,164 | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 267,421 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 295,555 | +10.5% |
| 2021 | 320,101 | +8.3% |
| 2022 | 243,197 | -24.0% |
| 2023 | 240,296 | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 287,559 | 285,500 | 290,972 | 10 |
| 1960s | 292,713 | 286,159 | 301,153 | 10 |
| 1970s | 314,797 | 302,998 | 348,735 | 10 |
| 1980s | 301,350 | 232,518 | 362,220 | 10 |
| 1990s | 241,715 | 218,356 | 266,055 | 10 |
| 2000s | 242,951 | 235,284 | 253,804 | 10 |
| 2010s | 250,330 | 235,724 | 267,421 | 10 |
| 2020s | 274,787 | 240,296 | 320,101 | 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)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 812.4 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 14,735 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 2.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2081 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2175 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of deaths in Afghanistan?
- Number of deaths in Afghanistan was 240,296 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of deaths recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 362,220 in 1985.
- What is the lowest number of deaths recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 218,356 in 1993.
- How does Afghanistan rank for number of deaths?
- Afghanistan ranks 39th out of 229 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of deaths rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. 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 Number of deaths. 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).