World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Afghanistan 5.9 times.
Afghanistan: 652,870 km² (2023) · World median: 111,370 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Afghanistan: 0 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Afghanistan’s highest peak towers 5,157 m above the median country’s.
Afghanistan: 7,492 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Afghanistan has 5.9 times as many people as the median country.
Afghanistan: 43.8 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The median country is 46% more densely populated than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 67 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the median country are 5.0 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 168.5 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the median country are 4.4 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 156.1 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the median country is 14 years older than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16.9 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Afghanistan have 2.9 more children on average than in the median country.
Afghanistan: 4.76 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in the median country are 65 or older, versus 2.4% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.4% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Afghanistan and the median country are practically level.
Afghanistan: 0 (2025) · World median: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Afghanistan has 3 official languages, the median country 1.
Afghanistan: 3 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The median country’s economy is 2.6 times the size of Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: $17.8 billion (2024) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The median country produces 9.4 times as much per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Int$2,236 (2024) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Afghanistan: no data · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 13% in Afghanistan, versus 5.1% in the median country.
Afghanistan: 13.4% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Afghanistan and the median country are practically level.
Afghanistan: 1.8% (2021) · World median: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The median country’s price level (US = 100) is 2.4× Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 19% (2024) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The median country spends 8 times as much on health per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: $59 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the median country live 8.3 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 66.3 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Afghanistan is 3.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in the median country.
Afghanistan: 48.3 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The median country has 5.3 times as many doctors per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in the median country are obese, versus 19% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 18.8% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Afghanistan smoke, versus 19% in the median country.
Afghanistan: 22.1% (2024) · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the median country rate their lives 4.39 points higher than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.45 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the median country drink 144 times as much alcohol as in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.03 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The median country has 8.8 times as much meat per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 6.4 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The median country has 623 kcal more food per person per day than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2,315 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Afghanistan: no data · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the median country went to school 7.4 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.5 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Afghanistan: no data · World median: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in the median country are online, versus 16% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the median country have electricity, versus 88% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 87.8% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in the median country live in cities, versus 26% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 26% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The median country has 115 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan 60.
Afghanistan: 60 (2024) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Afghanistan: no data · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the median country fly 10 times as many passengers per resident as those from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.02 (2023) · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 31% of the median country, but only 1.9% of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.9% (2023) · World median: 31.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the median country emits 12 times as much CO₂ as someone in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
87% of Afghanistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 31% in the median country.
Afghanistan: 86.9% (2024) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Afghanistan carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in the median country.
Afghanistan: 40 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 79% more likely to be murdered in Afghanistan than in the median country.
Afghanistan: 4 per 100k (2021) · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Afghanistan are 2 times as deadly as in the median country.
Afghanistan: 24.1 per 100k (2021) · World median: 12.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The median country is on average 9.4 °C warmer than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 13.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The median country gets 3.1 times as much rain as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 324 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Afghanistan bigger than the median country?
Afghanistan is larger. The median country fits inside Afghanistan 5.9 times.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or the median country?
Afghanistan has 5.9 times as many people as the median country (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or the median country?
People in the median country live 8.3 years longer than in Afghanistan. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in Afghanistan and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Afghanistan or the median country?
Men in the median country are 5.0 cm taller than in Afghanistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
