Afghanistan — Life expectancy
Life Expectancy at Birth for Afghanistan, 1960–2024.
Life expectancy for Afghanistan was 66.3 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1960 to 2024. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 31.5 in 1984 (about 2.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.11% per year.
Afghanistan ranks 184 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 85%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 76.7, so Afghanistan sits below it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 6%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 22 of 23 economies; Djibouti (66.2) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 20% in 1986. That is 5% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 2022. Doubling roughly every 63 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 212th of 215 in 1960 → 209th of 216 in 1970 → 214th of 216 in 1980 → 208th of 217 in 1990 → 186th of 217 in 2000 → 184th of 217 in 2010 → 198th of 217 in 2020 → 184th of 217 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2024
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 66.29 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 66.04 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 65.62 | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 60.42 | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 61.45 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 62.94 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 62.44 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 62.41 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 62.65 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 62.27 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 62.26 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 62.19 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 61.74 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 61.25 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 60.7 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 60.25 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 59.71 | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 58.96 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 58.55 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 58.25 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 57.81 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 57.17 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 56.23 | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 55.51 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 55.01 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 54.53 | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 52.49 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 53.21 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 52.83 | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 52.1 | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 50.97 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 51.02 | +9.6% |
| 1992 | 46.57 | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 45.52 | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 45.12 | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 44.5 | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 43.24 | +11.3% |
| 1987 | 38.83 | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 38.4 | +19.5% |
| 1985 | 32.13 | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 31.47 | -13.8% |
| 1983 | 36.52 | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 36.06 | -8.5% |
| 1981 | 39.41 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 39.26 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 38.84 | -3.1% |
| 1978 | 40.09 | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 41.08 | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 40.52 | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 39.99 | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 39.47 | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 38.95 | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 38.42 | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 37.93 | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 37.46 | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 36.98 | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 36.51 | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 36.04 | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 35.58 | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 35.12 | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 34.67 | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 34.2 | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 33.76 | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 33.29 | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 32.8 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Afghanistan’s Life expectancy in 1961?
33.29 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Afghanistan’s Life expectancy figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — years — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Afghanistan’s Life expectancy growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +102.1% in total — about 1.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 66.29; 2023: 66.04; 2022: 65.62; 2021: 60.42; 2020: 61.45. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.DYN.LE00.IN — Life Expectancy at Birth. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.