Rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Rural population, per square kilometre was 47.37 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
47.37 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
69th
of 215 countries
All-time high
47.37 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
12.94 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan is 47.37 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan peaked at 47.37 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.94 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Afghanistan 69th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.94 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 13.17 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 13.41 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 13.66 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 13.92 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 14.19 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 14.47 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 14.76 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 15.06 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 15.37 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 15.67 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 15.96 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 16.27 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 16.59 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 16.89 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 17.16 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 17.44 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 17.71 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 17.7 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 17.02 units per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1981 | 15.39 units per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 1982 | 14.14 units per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1983 | 14.01 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 14.33 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 14.61 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 14.57 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 14.51 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 14.66 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 15.08 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 15.28 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 15.5 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 16.8 units per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 1993 | 18.88 units per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 1994 | 20.5 units per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1995 | 21.5 units per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 22.34 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 23.17 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 24.02 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 24.88 units per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 25.14 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 25.27 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 26.57 units per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 28.18 units per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 29.12 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 30.04 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 31.14 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 31.55 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 32.03 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 32.98 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 33.71 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 34.73 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 35.92 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 36.94 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 38.11 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 39.18 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 40.08 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 41.13 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 42.25 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 43.45 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 44.77 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 45.78 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 46.42 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 47.37 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.95 units per square kilometre | 12.94 units per square kilometre | 15.06 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 16.68 units per square kilometre | 15.37 units per square kilometre | 17.71 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.83 units per square kilometre | 14.01 units per square kilometre | 17.02 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.29 units per square kilometre | 15.28 units per square kilometre | 24.88 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.2 units per square kilometre | 25.14 units per square kilometre | 32.98 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.55 units per square kilometre | 33.71 units per square kilometre | 43.45 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.08 units per square kilometre | 44.77 units per square kilometre | 47.37 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 66 Belgium 48.09 units per square kilometre compare
- 67 Poland 48.05 units per square kilometre compare
- 68 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 47.7 units per square kilometre compare
- 70 Yemen 47.32 units per square kilometre compare
- 71 Slovenia 46.83 units per square kilometre compare
- 72 Marshall Islands 46.68 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Afghanistan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3429 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 142.96 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7406 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 34.29 (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 34.29 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 21.0% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Afghanistan was 47.37 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 47.37 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.94 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Afghanistan rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Afghanistan ranks 69th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.