Afghanistan vs Iran
Afghanistan vs Iran: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 25.9% in Afghanistan and 77.4% in Iran, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 51.4 percentage points, or 2.98 times that in Afghanistan.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Afghanistan ranked 214 and Iran ranked 75 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Afghanistan at 41.2% and Iran at 86.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Afghanistan | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.9 | 77.4 |
| 2024 | 25.7 | 77 |
| 2023 | 25.5 | 76.7 |
| 2022 | 25.4 | 76.3 |
| 2021 | 25.4 | 76 |
| 2020 | 25.3 | 75.6 |
| 2019 | 25.1 | 75.2 |
| 2018 | 25 | 74.8 |
| 2017 | 24.8 | 74.4 |
| 2016 | 24.7 | 73.9 |
| 2015 | 24.5 | 73.4 |
| 2014 | 24.2 | 72.8 |
| 2013 | 23.8 | 72.3 |
| 2012 | 23.3 | 71.8 |
| 2011 | 22.8 | 71.2 |
| 2010 | 22.3 | 70.6 |
| 2009 | 21.7 | 70 |
| 2008 | 21.1 | 69.4 |
| 2007 | 20.6 | 68.8 |
| 2006 | 20.1 | 68.3 |
| 2005 | 19.7 | 67.9 |
| 2004 | 19.4 | 67.3 |
| 2003 | 19.2 | 66.6 |
| 2002 | 18.9 | 65.9 |
| 2001 | 18.7 | 65.2 |
| 2000 | 18.6 | 64.5 |
| 1999 | 18.4 | 63.7 |
| 1998 | 18.2 | 62.9 |
| 1997 | 18.1 | 62.1 |
| 1996 | 18 | 61.1 |
| 1995 | 17.8 | 60.4 |
| 1994 | 17.7 | 59.6 |
| 1993 | 17.6 | 58.7 |
| 1992 | 17.5 | 57.9 |
| 1991 | 17.4 | 56.9 |
| 1990 | 17.3 | 56.5 |
| 1989 | 17.2 | 55.9 |
| 1988 | 17 | 55.4 |
| 1987 | 16.9 | 54.8 |
| 1986 | 16.8 | 54.2 |
| 1985 | 16.6 | 53.6 |
| 1984 | 16.5 | 52.8 |
| 1983 | 16.3 | 52.1 |
| 1982 | 16.1 | 51.4 |
| 1981 | 15.9 | 50.7 |
| 1980 | 15.7 | 49.9 |
| 1979 | 15.4 | 49.2 |
| 1978 | 15.1 | 48.5 |
| 1977 | 14.7 | 47.8 |
| 1976 | 14.3 | 46.8 |
| 1975 | 13.8 | 46.1 |
| 1974 | 13.2 | 45.2 |
| 1973 | 12.7 | 44.3 |
| 1972 | 12.2 | 43.3 |
| 1971 | 11.7 | 42.4 |
| 1970 | 11.2 | 41.5 |
| 1969 | 10.9 | 40.6 |
| 1968 | 10.5 | 39.7 |
| 1967 | 10.2 | 38.9 |
| 1966 | 9.8 | 37.7 |
| 1965 | 9.5 | 37.1 |
| 1964 | 9.2 | 36.6 |
| 1963 | 8.9 | 36 |
| 1962 | 8.7 | 35.3 |
| 1961 | 8.4 | 34.6 |
| 1960 | 8.1 | 34 |
| 1959 | 7.9 | 33.3 |
| 1958 | 7.6 | 32.6 |
| 1957 | 7.3 | 31.9 |
| 1956 | 7.1 | 31.2 |
| 1955 | 6.8 | 30.5 |
| 1954 | 6.6 | 29.9 |
| 1953 | 6.3 | 29.3 |
| 1952 | 6.1 | 28.7 |
| 1951 | 5.9 | 28.1 |
| 1950 | 5.8 | 27.5 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Afghanistan | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26.2 | 77.7 |
| 2027 | 26.5 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 26.8 | 78.5 |
| 2029 | 27.2 | 78.8 |
| 2030 | 27.6 | 79.2 |
| 2031 | 28 | 79.5 |
| 2032 | 28.5 | 79.9 |
| 2033 | 28.9 | 80.3 |
| 2034 | 29.5 | 80.6 |
| 2035 | 30 | 81 |
| 2036 | 30.5 | 81.4 |
| 2037 | 31.1 | 81.8 |
| 2038 | 31.8 | 82.1 |
| 2039 | 32.4 | 82.5 |
| 2040 | 33.1 | 82.9 |
| 2041 | 33.8 | 83.3 |
| 2042 | 34.5 | 83.7 |
| 2043 | 35.2 | 84.1 |
| 2044 | 36 | 84.5 |
| 2045 | 36.8 | 84.8 |
| 2046 | 37.6 | 85.2 |
| 2047 | 38.5 | 85.6 |
| 2048 | 39.4 | 86.1 |
| 2049 | 40.3 | 86.5 |
| 2050 | 41.2 | 86.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterAfghanistan: 30% in 2022Iran: 94.2% in 2022
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAfghanistan: $8.55M in 1977Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025