Out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 77.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan, 2002–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 77.1% for out-of-pocket expenditure in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan peaked at 86.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 72.0%, in 2013.
That places Afghanistan 4th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 85.4% | — |
| 2003 | 86.1% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 84.5% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 79.0% | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 76.8% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 78.2% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 75.4% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 72.8% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 79.0% | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 73.3% | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 74.5% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 72.0% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 73.1% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 78.4% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 76.0% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 75.5% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 76.2% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 76.8% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 74.8% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 77.2% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 77.9% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 77.1% | -1.0% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 77.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 45.6%, 1.7× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 77.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.5%, 2.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 79.8% | 72.8% | 86.1% | 8 |
| 2010s | 75.5% | 72.0% | 79.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.8% | 74.8% | 77.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 1 Armenia 80.5% compare
- 2 Bangladesh 79.3% compare
- 3 Turkmenistan 77.4% compare
- 5 Syrian Arab Republic 72.4% compare
- 6 Nigeria 71.9% compare
- 7 Myanmar 71.1% compare
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 812.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in Afghanistan was 77.1% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 86.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.0% in 2013.
- How does Afghanistan rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- Afghanistan ranks 4th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.