Population

29,835,392
note: this is a significantly revised figure; the previous estimate of 33,609,937 was extrapolated from the last Afghan census held in 1979, which was never completed because of the Soviet invasion; a new Afghan census is scheduled to take place in 2010 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.3% (male 6,464,070/female 6,149,468)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 8,460,486/female 8,031,968)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 349,349/female 380,051) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 18.2 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.2 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

2.375% (2011 est.)

Birth rate

37.83 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate

17.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net migration rate

3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 23% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 4.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 149.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 152.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 145.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 45.02 years
male: 44.79 years
female: 45.25 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.39 children born/woman (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Nationality

noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups

Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%

Religions

Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Languages

Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years
male: 11 years
female: 7 years (2009)

Education expenditures

NA