Quick answerAfghanistan is a country in Southern Asia, with a population of 41,454,761 (2023). Its capital is Kabul, its official languages are Pashto and Dari, and its currency is the Afghan afghani (AFN). It covers 652,864 square kilometres (252,072 square miles), and its time zone is Asia/Kabul.
Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia, home to an estimated 41 million people. Its capital and largest city is Kabul, and its official languages are Pashto and Dari.
Key facts
| Capital | Kabul |
|---|---|
| Population | 41,454,761 (2023) · 41.5 million |
| Population density | 63.6 people per km² (land area) |
| Area | 652,864 km² (252,072 sq mi) total · 652,230 km² (251,827 sq mi) land |
| Official languages | Pashto (official), Dari (official) |
| Currency | Afghan afghani (AFN, ؋) |
| Time zone | Asia/Kabul |
| Government | Unitary theocratic Islamic emirate |
| Highest point | Noshaq, 7,492 m |
| Life expectancy | 66 years (2023) |
| Calling code | +93 |
| Driving side | Right |
| Internet domain | .af |
Overview
Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia, bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the north-east. It covers 652,864 square kilometres of mostly mountainous land, with plains in the north and the south-west separated by the Hindu Kush range, which rises to Noshaq at 7,492 metres. The country has no coastline.
The United Nations estimated Afghanistan's population at 41,454,761 on 1 July 2023; the country has never held a complete nationwide census, so estimates range from about 35 million to about 50 million. About 27 per cent of Afghans live in towns and cities, above all in Kabul, the capital, with an estimated 5.3 million people. Pashto and Dari are the official languages, and life expectancy at birth was 66.0 years in 2023. Afghanistan is a young country, with a median age of 20.0 years, and its people are mostly Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek, almost all Muslim.
People have lived in what is now Afghanistan for at least 50,000 years, and farming villages appeared there about 7,000 years ago. The land lay on the Silk Road between Persia, India and Central Asia, and was ruled in turn by the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great, the Kushans, the Arabs, the Mongols and the Mughals. The modern state began with the Durrani Empire in 1747, and Afghanistan became fully independent in 1919 after the Third Anglo-Afghan War. From the late 1970s the country was dominated by coups, invasions and civil wars, including the Soviet invasion of 1979 and the US-led intervention of 2001.
Since August 2021 Afghanistan has been governed by the Taliban as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a government that remains widely unrecognised internationally. The country is rich in natural resources, including lithium, iron, zinc and copper, and is the world's third-largest producer of saffron and cashmere, but after decades of war it remains among the world's least developed countries, with high levels of poverty and child malnutrition.
Notable facts
- Afghanistan has never held a complete nationwide census, so its population is only estimated: the United Nations put it at 41,454,761 on 1 July 2023.
- Noshaq, at 7,492 metres in the Hindu Kush, is Afghanistan's highest point, and the country is predominantly mountainous.
- The Buddhas of Bamiyan, two giant statues carved in the 6th century CE, stood for some 1,400 years before they were destroyed in 2001; the site is now on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
- Kabul, at 1,791 metres above sea level in a narrow valley of the Hindu Kush, is one of the highest capital cities in the world.
- Afghanistan is the world's third-largest producer of both saffron and cashmere.
How Afghanistan compares
Comparison table — Afghanistan next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).
| Country | Population | Area | Density | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan ★ | 41,454,761 (2023) | 652,864 km² | 63.6 people per km² | Kabul |
| China | 1,404,890,000 (2025) | 9,596,961 km² | 150.6 people per km² | Beijing |
| Iran | 92,417,681 (2025) | 1,648,195 km² | 56.7 people per km² | Tehran |
| Pakistan | 241,499,431 (2023) | 881,913 km² | 313.3 people per km² | Islamabad |
Cities in Afghanistan
See all 4 cities in Afghanistan →
- Kabul Known for Gardens of Babur
- Kandahar Known for Shrine of the Cloak
- Herat Known for Great Mosque of Herat
- Mazar-i-Sharif Known for Blue Mosque (Shrine of Hazrat Ali)
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Afghanistan?
The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul. It is also the largest city, with an estimated 5,333,284 people in 2025. Kabul sits at 1,791 metres above sea level in a valley of the Hindu Kush, and it has been the country's political, cultural and economic centre for centuries.
What is the population of Afghanistan?
Afghanistan has never held a complete nationwide census, so there is no census population figure. The United Nations estimated the population at 41,454,761 on 1 July 2023, while other estimates range from about 35 million to about 50 million. About 27 per cent of Afghans live in towns and cities.
What language is spoken in Afghanistan?
Pashto and Dari are the official languages of Afghanistan. Dari, a form of Persian, is the lingua franca and is spoken by about 78 per cent of the population, while Pashto is spoken by about half. Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi and several other languages are also spoken.
What currency is used in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan uses the Afghan afghani (AFN, symbol ؋). Banknotes are issued in denominations up to 1,000 afghanis. Cash is the norm for almost all everyday shopping, and US dollars are widely used for larger transactions.
Where is Afghanistan?
Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It borders Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the north-east. The Hindu Kush mountains run through its centre, separating the northern plains from the south-western plains.
What time zone is Afghanistan in?
Afghanistan uses a single time zone, Afghanistan Time (UTC+4:30), across the whole country. The IANA time zone name is Asia/Kabul. There is no daylight saving time, so the clocks stay the same all year.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Kabul — capital of Afghanistan
- Kandahar — city in Afghanistan
- Herat — city in Afghanistan
- Mazar-i-Sharif — city in Afghanistan
- China — neighbouring country
- Iran — neighbouring country
- Pakistan — neighbouring country
- Tajikistan — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Turkmenistan — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Uzbekistan — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Bangladesh — another country in Southern Asia
- India — another country in Southern Asia
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Afghanistan
- United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 (via Wikipedia — List of countries and dependencies by population (United Nations))
- Wikipedia — List of countries and dependencies by length of coastline (CIA World Factbook figures)
- Wikipedia — List of countries by median age (CIA World Factbook 2024 estimates)
- Wikipedia — List of countries by life expectancy (United Nations, 2023 estimates)
- Wikipedia — Urbanization by sovereign state (CIA World Factbook 2023 urbanization)
- mledoze/countries (skeleton: borders, capital, languages, tld, coordinates, subregion)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.