Population:
28,395,716 (July 2009 est.)
note: this is a significantly revised figure; the previous estimate of 33,609,937 was extrapolated from the last Afghan census held in 1979, which was never completed because of the Soviet invasion; a new Afghan census is scheduled to take place in 2010

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.5% (male 7,664,670/female 7,300,446)
15-64 years: 53% (male 9,147,846/female 8,679,800)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 394,572/female 422,603) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.576% (2009 est.)

Birth rate:
38.37 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate:
17.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate:
5.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 24% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 153.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 156.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 149.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.4 years
male: 44.19 years
female: 44.61 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.6 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 11 years
female: 4 years (2004)

Education expenditures:
NA