Life Expectancy at Birth in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Life Expectancy at Birth was 66.29 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
66.29
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
183rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
66.29
in 2024
All-time low
31.47
in 1984
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life Expectancy at Birth in Afghanistan, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan stood at 66.29. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan peaked at 66.29 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.47, in 1984.
Afghanistan ranks 183rd of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life Expectancy at Birth in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32.8 | — |
| 1961 | 33.29 | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 33.76 | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 34.2 | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 34.67 | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 35.12 | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 35.58 | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 36.04 | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 36.51 | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 36.98 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 37.46 | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 37.93 | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 38.42 | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 38.95 | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 39.47 | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 39.99 | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 40.52 | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 41.08 | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 40.09 | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 38.84 | -3.1% |
| 1980 | 39.26 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 39.41 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 36.06 | -8.5% |
| 1983 | 36.52 | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 31.47 | -13.8% |
| 1985 | 32.13 | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 38.4 | +19.5% |
| 1987 | 38.83 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 43.24 | +11.3% |
| 1989 | 44.5 | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 45.12 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 45.52 | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 46.57 | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 51.02 | +9.6% |
| 1994 | 50.97 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 52.1 | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 52.83 | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 53.21 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 52.49 | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 54.53 | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 55.01 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 55.51 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 56.23 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 57.17 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 57.81 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 58.25 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 58.55 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 58.96 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 59.71 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 60.25 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 60.7 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 61.25 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 61.73 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 62.19 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 62.26 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 62.27 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 62.65 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 62.41 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 62.44 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 62.94 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 61.45 | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 60.42 | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 65.62 | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 66.03 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 66.29 | +0.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 66.29 is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.84, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 66.29 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 77.28, 86% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 34.9 | 32.8 | 36.98 | 10 |
| 1970s | 39.28 | 37.46 | 41.08 | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.98 | 31.47 | 44.5 | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.44 | 45.12 | 54.53 | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.74 | 55.01 | 60.25 | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.08 | 60.7 | 62.94 | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.96 | 60.42 | 66.29 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More gender data for Afghanistan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 20,358 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.64 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 29,681 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 29,681 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 707,563 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 739,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 690,872 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 720,642 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 674,248 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan?
- Life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan was 66.29 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 66.29 in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.47 in 1984.
- How does Afghanistan rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Afghanistan ranks 183rd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.