Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Singapore fits inside Afghanistan 897 times.
Afghanistan: 652,870 km² (2023) · Singapore: 728 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Afghanistan: 0 km (2026 edition) · Singapore: 193 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Afghanistan’s highest peak towers 7,326 m above Singapore’s.
Afghanistan: 7,492 m (2026 edition) · Singapore: 166 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 58% of Afghanistan, versus 0.9% of Singapore.
Afghanistan: 58.4% (2023) · Singapore: 0.9% (2023)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Afghanistan has 7.2 times as many people as Singapore.
Afghanistan: 43.8 million (2025) · Singapore: 6.11 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Singapore is 127 times as densely populated as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 67 per km² (2025) · Singapore: 8,511 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Singapore are 5.0 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 168.5 cm (2019) · Singapore: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Singapore are 5.2 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 156.1 cm (2019) · Singapore: 161.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Singapore is 18 years older than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16.9 years (2023) · Singapore: 35.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Afghanistan have 3.8 more children on average than in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 4.76 children per woman (2024) · Singapore: 0.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
14% of people in Singapore are 65 or older, versus 2.4% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.4% (2025) · Singapore: 14.2% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Afghanistan: 0.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Singapore: 0 per 1,000 (2024)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Afghanistan and Singapore are practically level.
Afghanistan: 0 (2025) · Singapore: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Singapore has 4 official languages, Afghanistan 3.
Afghanistan: 3 (2026) · Singapore: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Singapore’s economy is 34 times the size of Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: $17.8 billion (2024) · Singapore: $604 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Singapore produces 73 times as much per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Int$2,236 (2024) · Singapore: Int$163,354 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 13% in Afghanistan, versus 2.8% in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 13.4% (2025) · Singapore: 2.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Singapore spends 2.8% of its GDP on the military, Afghanistan 1.8%.
Afghanistan: 1.8% (2021) · Singapore: 2.8% (2024)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Singapore’s central government collects 14% of GDP in tax, Afghanistan’s 9.9%.
Afghanistan: 9.9% (2017) · Singapore: 13.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Singapore’s price level (US = 100) is 3.2× Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 19% (2024) · Singapore: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Singapore spends 66 times as much on health per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: $59 (2023) · Singapore: $3,922 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Singapore live 17 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 66.3 years (2024) · Singapore: 83.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Afghanistan is 22 times as likely to die before turning one as in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 48.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Singapore: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Singapore has 8.9 times as many doctors per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Singapore has 8 times as many hospital beds per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Singapore is 31% higher than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 5.3 per 100k (2021) · Singapore: 7 per 100k (2021)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Afghanistan are obese, versus 17% in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 18.8% (2024) · Singapore: 16.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Afghanistan smoke, versus 14% in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 22.1% (2024) · Singapore: 13.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Singapore rate their lives 5.14 points higher than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.45 (2025) · Singapore: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Singapore drink 72 times as much alcohol as in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.03 litres (2023) · Singapore: 2.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Afghanistan: 6.4 kg (2023) · Singapore: no data
How much food is there per day?
Afghanistan: 2,315 kcal (2023) · Singapore: no data
How long do people work?
Afghanistan: no data · Singapore: 2,283 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Singapore went to school 9.5 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.5 years (2023) · Singapore: 12 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Afghanistan: no data · Singapore: 2.16 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Afghanistan has 1 more World Heritage site than Singapore (2 against 1).
Afghanistan: 2 (2026) · Singapore: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Singapore has won 6 Olympic medals, Afghanistan 2.
Afghanistan: 2 (2026 edition) · Singapore: 6 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Singapore are online, versus 16% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16% (2024) · Singapore: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Singapore is 40 times as fast as in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16 Mbps (2026) · Singapore: 629 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Singapore have electricity, versus 88% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 87.8% (2024) · Singapore: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
100% of people in Singapore live in cities, versus 26% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 26% (2025) · Singapore: 100% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Singapore has 171 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan 60.
Afghanistan: 60 (2024) · Singapore: 171 (2024)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Singapore fly 330 times as many passengers per resident as those from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.02 (2023) · Singapore: 7.77 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 21% of Singapore, but only 1.9% of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.9% (2023) · Singapore: 20.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Singapore emits 36 times as much CO₂ as someone in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 t (2024) · Singapore: 9.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
87% of Afghanistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 5.5% in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 86.9% (2024) · Singapore: 5.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Afghanistan carries 3.3 times as much fine dust as in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 40 µg/m³ (2024) · Singapore: 12.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 58 times as likely to be murdered in Afghanistan as in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 4 per 100k (2021) · Singapore: 0.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Afghanistan are 13 times as deadly as in Singapore.
Afghanistan: 24.1 per 100k (2021) · Singapore: 1.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Afghanistan: 13.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
How much rain falls?
Afghanistan: 324 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Afghanistan bigger than Singapore?
Afghanistan is larger. Singapore fits inside Afghanistan 897 times.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or Singapore?
Afghanistan has 7.2 times as many people as Singapore (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or Singapore?
People in Singapore live 17 years longer than in Afghanistan. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in Afghanistan and 83.3 in Singapore.
Are people taller in Afghanistan or Singapore?
Men in Singapore are 5.0 cm taller than in Afghanistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
