Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Afghanistan Population Pyramid 1981

Afghanistan
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1981
Population: 11,937,580

Year

-5 -1   1981  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embed this population pyramid ×

Copy the code below and paste it into your website or LMS.

Summary

Afghanistan in 1981

The population of Afghanistan in 1981 was 11,937,581. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 3.2%, up from 11,567,668 in 1971.

Half of the population was younger than 16.8 years; 46.3% were children under 15 and 2.5% were 65 or older. The broad-based, expansive shape of the pyramid points to high fertility and strong population growth.

Ranks #53 of 201 by population Ranks #169 of 201 by median age Ranks #186 of 201 by growth

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for Afghanistan
Population
11,937,581
Median age
16.8
0-14 %
46.3%
65+ %
2.5%
Child dependency
90.3
Old-age dependency
4.9
Region
ASIA
Pyramid shape
Expansive
Population 2050
76,885,135
Population 2100
130,216,739
What is driving the change
Births per woman
Total fertility rate, 1960–2023
12345678
1960Replacement level (2.1)2023 · 4.84

In 2023 women in Afghanistan had on average 4.84 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

Life expectancy at birth
Years, 1960–2023
Total Women Men
203040506070
19602023 · 66.0

Life expectancy at birth was 66.0 years in 2023: 67.5 for women and 64.5 for men.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
285582110
19502100
Migration to and from Afghanistan
Where immigrants come from (2024)

72,948 immigrants live in Afghanistan, 0.2% of the population.

Pakistan69,788
Tajikistan3,011
Uzbekistan149
Where emigrants live (2024)

7,528,988 people born in Afghanistan live in other countries.

Iran3,752,317
Pakistan1,923,453
Germany358,767
Turkey332,053
United States of America199,252
Explore
Immigration statistics Origin of migrant stocks map

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

How Afghanistan compares with its neighbours
Country Population Median age Relative size
Afghanistan 11,937,581 16.8
Sri Lanka 15,099,414 21.6
Nepal 15,922,423 19.5
Bhutan 447,836 18.8
Maldives 169,533 16.8
Frequently asked questions about Afghanistan's population
How many people lived in Afghanistan in 1981?
Afghanistan had a population of 11,937,581 in 1981.
Is the population of Afghanistan increasing or decreasing?
Afghanistan's population grew 3.2% over the previous ten years, and is projected to reach 76,885,135 by 2050.
How old is the population of Afghanistan?
Afghanistan's median age is 16.8 years.
What share of Afghanistan's population is over 65 or under 15?
In Afghanistan, 46.3% of people are under 15 and 2.5% are 65 or older.
What shape is Afghanistan's population pyramid, and what does it mean?
Afghanistan has an expansive pyramid: a wide base of young cohorts reflecting high fertility and continued population growth.

Check our other visualizations

Immigration statistics per countries
Immigration statistics per countries
List of countries ordered by their population size
List of countries ordered by their population size
Origin of the migrants stocks per country
Origin of the migrants stocks per country
Population density per country
Population density per country
Population Projections
Comparison of carbon emissions per country
Population Growth Map per Year
Population Growth Map per Year