Afghanistan vs China

Afghanistan vs China: Population growth

Population growth in 2023: 2.85% a year in Afghanistan and -0.24% a year in China, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Afghanistan, by 3.08 percentage points.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · UN

Afghanistan vs China: Population growthPopulation growth in 2023: 2.85% a year in Afghanistan and -0.24% a year in China, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Afghanistan, by 3.08 percentage points.
AfghanistanChinaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

  • Afghanistan has been higher since 2008, when it overtook China.
  • In 2023, Afghanistan ranked 16 and China ranked 189 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The UN projection (medium variant) puts Afghanistan at 0.42% a year and China at -1.68% a year in 2100.
  • The world as a whole: 0.87% a year in 2023.

Every year

% a year · UN

YearAfghanistanChinaWorld
20232.85-0.240.87
20221.41-0.130.88
20211.46-0.050.8
20203.270.090.9
20193.030.271.03
20182.940.371.07
20172.890.581.13
20162.730.611.17
20152.340.531.18
20143.930.651.22
20133.330.641.23
20123.510.741.27
20114.610.621.26
20102.740.661.27
20093.130.681.28
20084.180.621.28
20070.150.591.28
20063.670.591.28
20054.530.631.27
20042.470.581.28
20034.720.591.29
20027.660.61.3
20012.720.671.33
2000-1.210.771.35
19993.660.721.35
19983.80.761.37
19973.730.791.39
19963.880.861.42
19954.140.911.45
19945.690.921.47
199311.331.021.52
199212.351.121.57
19913.621.221.63
1990-0.471.741.76
19893.361.681.78
19882.621.651.79
1987-0.271.791.84
1986-0.291.71.83
19850.171.561.8
19844.051.471.8
19830.831.381.78
1982-2.161.651.86
1981-13.881.51.82
1980-6.141.441.8
1979-1.21.41.79
19781.851.321.74
19772.171.331.75
19762.091.481.78
19752.341.611.8
19742.491.871.88
19732.572.111.94
19722.52.231.97
19712.382.371.97
19702.482.612.06
19692.412.62.06
19682.372.752.09
19672.352.442
19662.262.522.04
19652.282.662.09
19642.192.552.16
19632.133.292.28
19622.082.472.11
19612.010.331.67
19601.91-0.031.58
19591.790.671.73
19581.531.952
19571.62.42.07
19561.552.021.98
19551.492.252.01
19541.392.251.99
19531.342.051.9
19521.372.311.94
19511.361.761.75
19501.281.791.74
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
YearAfghanistanChinaWorld
20242.83-2.13–6.91-0.22-0.42–-0.020.86
20252.71-2.95–7.66-0.23-0.46–-0.020.84
20262.71-3.05–7.54-0.22-0.45–0.010.83
20272.61-2.82–7.6-0.24-0.5–-0.010.81
20282.57-3.08–7.73-0.26-0.54–-0.010.8
20292.65-2.96–7.94-0.29-0.58–-0.030.78
20302.67-2.99–7.96-0.3-0.6–-0.040.76
20312.61-3.11–8.27-0.33-0.64–-0.040.75
20322.52-3.39–8.02-0.35-0.68–-0.030.73
20332.49-3.33–8.01-0.37-0.71–-0.050.72
20342.32-3.66–7.5-0.39-0.74–-0.060.7
20352.28-3.65–7.42-0.41-0.78–-0.070.69
20362.28-3.64–7.34-0.42-0.81–-0.080.67
20372.24-3.65–7.64-0.44-0.84–-0.080.65
20382.16-3.72–7.48-0.46-0.88–-0.090.64
20392.24-3.62–7.34-0.48-0.9–-0.120.62
20402.24-3.65–7.48-0.5-0.95–-0.120.61
20412.1-3.77–7.42-0.52-0.98–-0.120.59
20421.94-3.7–7.21-0.54-1–-0.140.57
20432-3.73–7.3-0.56-1.04–-0.170.56
20441.91-3.76–7.16-0.59-1.08–-0.180.54
20451.89-3.71–7.01-0.62-1.14–-0.210.52
20461.96-3.63–6.97-0.66-1.15–-0.250.5
20471.84-3.9–7.1-0.69-1.2–-0.290.48
20481.84-3.54–6.94-0.73-1.24–-0.320.46
20491.92-3.51–7.11-0.78-1.29–-0.350.44
20501.68-4.21–6.63-0.82-1.36–-0.40.42
20511.6-3.96–6.86-0.87-1.4–-0.460.4
20521.71-4.01–6.71-0.92-1.45–-0.480.38
20531.7-4.34–6.63-0.97-1.5–-0.520.36
20541.68-4.18–6.71-1.01-1.56–-0.570.34
20551.66-4.25–6.7-1.06-1.59–-0.60.33
20561.67-4.06–6.7-1.1-1.65–-0.630.31
20571.63-4.21–6.68-1.14-1.69–-0.670.3
20581.54-4.41–6.57-1.17-1.71–-0.680.28
20591.42-4.46–6.41-1.2-1.75–-0.720.27
20601.44-4.18–6.2-1.23-1.8–-0.710.25
20611.36-4.51–6.35-1.25-1.81–-0.740.24
20621.45-4.4–6.44-1.26-1.83–-0.730.23
20631.42-4.51–6.35-1.27-1.87–-0.730.22
20641.45-4.04–6.74-1.28-1.9–-0.750.21
20651.43-4.48–6.6-1.29-1.91–-0.750.2
20661.27-4.86–6.27-1.29-1.92–-0.710.19
20671.24-4.58–6.16-1.3-1.96–-0.730.18
20681.31-4.4–6.59-1.3-1.97–-0.710.17
20691.22-4.91–6.28-1.3-1.98–-0.70.16
20701.28-4.66–6.36-1.3-2.02–-0.690.15
20711.11-4.63–5.93-1.31-2.05–-0.670.14
20721.13-4.98–6.28-1.32-2.09–-0.680.13
20731.18-4.39–6.23-1.34-2.09–-0.650.12
20741.06-5.27–6.19-1.35-2.15–-0.640.1
20750.94-5.18–5.97-1.37-2.19–-0.670.09
20760.97-5.41–5.97-1.39-2.25–-0.680.08
20770.97-4.89–6.08-1.41-2.29–-0.70.07
20780.88-5.4–6.17-1.43-2.36–-0.690.06
20791.01-5.54–6.2-1.46-2.4–-0.730.05
20800.9-5.15–6.16-1.49-2.44–-0.750.04
20810.77-5.67–5.99-1.51-2.44–-0.760.03
20820.75-5.8–5.8-1.52-2.49–-0.760.02
20830.72-5.9–6.11-1.54-2.56–-0.770.01
20840.83-5.85–6.05-1.56-2.6–-0.78-0
20850.74-6.12–5.83-1.57-2.64–-0.78-0.01
20860.63-5.74–5.93-1.57-2.64–-0.8-0.02
20870.72-5.65–5.88-1.58-2.66–-0.81-0.03
20880.66-5.89–5.94-1.58-2.64–-0.8-0.04
20890.64-5.87–5.78-1.59-2.68–-0.77-0.05
20900.7-5.82–5.92-1.59-2.71–-0.77-0.05
20910.61-5.72–5.79-1.59-2.77–-0.77-0.06
20920.59-5.84–5.89-1.59-2.79–-0.76-0.07
20930.58-6.52–5.67-1.6-2.78–-0.73-0.07
20940.56-6.28–5.61-1.61-2.85–-0.75-0.08
20950.52-6.1–5.53-1.62-2.9–-0.74-0.09
20960.51-6.3–5.59-1.63-2.99–-0.76-0.1
20970.52-6.21–5.6-1.64-3.07–-0.73-0.11
20980.51-6.36–5.95-1.65-3.12–-0.69-0.11
20990.5-6.48–5.74-1.67-3.22–-0.69-0.12
21000.42-6.41–5.78-1.68-3.24–-0.67-0.13

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • How fast the population grew or shrank in a year: births minus deaths, plus people moving in minus people moving out.
  • Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
  • The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
  • Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Afghanistan vs China

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