Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Pakistan is 22% bigger than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 652,870 km² (2023) · Pakistan: 796,100 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Afghanistan: 0 km (2026 edition) · Pakistan: 1,046 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Pakistan’s highest peak towers 1,119 m above Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 7,492 m (2026 edition) · Pakistan: 8,611 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Pakistan has 5.8 times as many people as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 43.8 million (2025) · Pakistan: 255 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Pakistan is 4.9 times as densely populated as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 67 per km² (2025) · Pakistan: 331 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Afghanistan are 1.2 cm taller than in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 168.5 cm (2019) · Pakistan: 167.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Afghanistan are 1.3 cm taller than in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 156.1 cm (2019) · Pakistan: 154.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Pakistan is 3.3 years older than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16.9 years (2023) · Pakistan: 20.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Afghanistan have 1.2 more children on average than in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 4.76 children per woman (2024) · Pakistan: 3.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.4% of people in Pakistan are 65 or older, versus 2.4% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.4% (2025) · Pakistan: 4.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Pakistan has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Afghanistan 0.0.
Afghanistan: 0 (2025) · Pakistan: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Afghanistan has 3 official languages, Pakistan 2.
Afghanistan: 3 (2026) · Pakistan: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Pakistan’s economy is 23 times the size of Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: $17.8 billion (2024) · Pakistan: $407 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Pakistan produces 2.9 times as much per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Int$2,236 (2024) · Pakistan: Int$6,573 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Afghanistan: no data · Pakistan: 33.5 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 13% in Afghanistan, versus 5.4% in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 13.4% (2025) · Pakistan: 5.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Pakistan spends 2.7% of its GDP on the military, Afghanistan 1.8%.
Afghanistan: 1.8% (2021) · Pakistan: 2.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Pakistan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 19% (2024) · Pakistan: 24% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Afghanistan spends 94% more on health per person than Pakistan.
Afghanistan: $59 (2023) · Pakistan: $30 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Pakistan live 1.5 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 66.3 years (2024) · Pakistan: 67.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Afghanistan and Pakistan are nearly identical here.
Afghanistan: 48.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Pakistan: 48.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Pakistan has 3.7 times as many doctors per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Pakistan: 1.2 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Pakistan are obese, versus 19% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 18.8% (2024) · Pakistan: 23.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Afghanistan smoke, versus 18% in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 22.1% (2024) · Pakistan: 17.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Pakistan rate their lives 3.42 points higher than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.45 (2025) · Pakistan: 4.87 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Pakistan drink 2.9 times as much alcohol as in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.03 litres (2023) · Pakistan: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Pakistan has 3.3 times as much meat per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 6.4 kg (2023) · Pakistan: 21.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Pakistan has 199 kcal more food per person per day than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2,315 kcal (2023) · Pakistan: 2,514 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Afghanistan: no data · Pakistan: 2,471 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Pakistan went to school 1.8 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.5 years (2023) · Pakistan: 4.3 years (2023)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
57% of people in Pakistan are online, versus 16% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16% (2024) · Pakistan: 57% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
96% of people in Pakistan have electricity, versus 88% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 87.8% (2024) · Pakistan: 95.7% (2024)
How many live in cities?
40% of people in Pakistan live in cities, versus 26% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 26% (2025) · Pakistan: 40% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Pakistan has 77 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan 60.
Afghanistan: 60 (2024) · Pakistan: 77 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Afghanistan: no data · Pakistan: 7,791 km (2019)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Pakistan fly 19% more passengers per resident than those from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.02 (2023) · Pakistan: 0.03 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 4.7% of Pakistan, but only 1.9% of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.9% (2023) · Pakistan: 4.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Pakistan emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 t (2024) · Pakistan: 0.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
87% of Afghanistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 43% in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 86.9% (2024) · Pakistan: 42.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Pakistan carries 35% more fine dust than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 40 µg/m³ (2024) · Pakistan: 53.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 7% more likely to be murdered in Pakistan than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 4 per 100k (2021) · Pakistan: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Afghanistan are 2 times as deadly as in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: 24.1 per 100k (2021) · Pakistan: 11.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Pakistan is on average 7.5 °C warmer than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 13.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Pakistan: 21°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Pakistan gets 28% more rain than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 324 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Pakistan: 416 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Afghanistan bigger than Pakistan?
Pakistan is larger. Pakistan is 22% bigger than Afghanistan.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or Pakistan?
Pakistan has 5.8 times as many people as Afghanistan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or Pakistan?
People in Pakistan live 1.5 years longer than in Afghanistan. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in Afghanistan and 67.8 in Pakistan.
Are people taller in Afghanistan or Pakistan?
Men in Afghanistan are 1.2 cm taller than in Pakistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
