1. Population
- The total population of Kabul stands at 6,700,513, making it the most densely populated province in Afghanistan, with a significant lead over Herat (2,755,910) and Nangarhar (2,190,770).
- Provinces such as Nimroz (236,309) and Nuristan (210,895) have relatively small total populations, which could impact resource allocation and development initiatives.
- The average total population across provinces is about 1,000,968. The median total population is 724,844, and the province with the median total population is Farah. The median is found by ordering the population values and identifying the middle value, while the average is calculated by dividing the sum of all population figures by the number of provinces. The province of Farah is consistently at the median for male, female, and total populations, suggesting it represents a middle ground in Afghanistan's demographic distribution.
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Data for Afghanistan. (2024). 2021 provincial population estimates for Afghanistan [Data visualization]. https://dataforafghanistan.org/posts/people/#1-population. Licensed under CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.
- Kabul leads in female population with 3,293,371 females, underscoring its status as the most populous province in Afghanistan for both genders.
- Balkh (956,005 females) and Herat (1,367,414 females) also have substantial female populations, making them key regions in terms of demographic significance.
- The average female population across provinces is roughly 494,720, with the median female population being 353,543. Farah is the province with the median female population.
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Data for Afghanistan. (2024). 2021 female population estimates by province [Data visualization]. https://dataforafghanistan.org/posts/people/#1-population. Licensed under CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.
- With a total of 3,407,142 males, Kabul also leads in male population, far surpassing other regions like Herat (1,388,496) and Nangarhar (1,118,245).
- Provinces like Nuristan (107,609 males) and Nimroz (120,494 males) have some of the smallest male populations, reflecting their relatively low overall population density.
- The average male population across all provinces is approximately 506,249, while the median male population is 371,301. The province with the median male population is Farah.
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Data for Afghanistan. (2024). 2021 male population estimates by province [Data visualization]. https://dataforafghanistan.org/posts/people/#1-population. Licensed under CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.
- In the youngest age group (0-4 years), males slightly outnumber females with 3.71 million males compared to 3.57 million females. This male majority trend continues in the next age group (5-9 years), with males making up approximately 3.29 million, while females constitute around 3.07 million.
- In the 20-24 age group, there is a notable shift where females outnumber males. Females total 1.88 million, whereas males decrease to 1.75 million. This is a reversal of the trend seen in younger age groups and indicates potential factors such as migration or conflict impacting male population numbers.
- Among the senior population, particularly in the 65+ age categories, males increasingly outnumber females. For example, in the 65-69 age group, there are 281,597 males compared to 205,202 females. The gap widens further in the 80+ category, where males total 103,119 and females 63,890, reflecting the higher mortality rates or possibly lower life expectancy among Afghan women.
Cite this work:
Data for Afghanistan. (2024). Afghanistan population distribution by age group [Data visualization]. https://dataforafghanistan.org/posts/people/#1-population. Licensed under CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.