Language
Pashto and Persian (Dari) are the official languages. There is also a great variety of languages -- mainly with Persian or Turkic roots -- such as Hazaragi, Turkmen, Uzbek and Aimaq.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population

2007	26.2 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006	25.7 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2005	25.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2004	24.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2003	23.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2002	22.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2001	21.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2000	20.7 million	U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
40.9 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
Pashtun 44 percent, Tajik 25 percent, Hazara 10 percent, Uzbek 8 percent. The rest of the population is comprised of peoples of Turkic origin and nomads of Mongolian origin.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Muslims make up 99 percent of the population (74 percent Sunni, 15 percent Shia and 10 percent others).
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population

2007	23.6 percent	U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006	23.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2005	22.9 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2004	22.6 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2003	22.2 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2002	21.9 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2001	21.6 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2000	21.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
No data available
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available

Percentage of population under 15

2004	46.6 percent	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2006
2003	46.7 percent	UNDP 2005
2002	No data available percent
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Time zone
GMT +4 1/2

Climate description
Severe winter at higher altitudes, summers are warm throughout the mountainous country but very hot at lower levels. Rain in the spring, dry period between June and October

Currency
Afghani

Telephone dialling code
(+) 93

Driving (left/right)
Right

Average life expectancy

2004	46.4 years	UNDP 2006
2003	46.2 years	UNDP 2005
2002	No data available years
2001	No data available years
2000	No data available years

Life expectancy - male

2004	46.2 years	UNDP 2006
2003	No data available years
2002	No data available years
2001	No data available years
2000	No data available years

Life expectancy - female

2004	46.7 years	UNDP 2006
2003	No data available years
2002	No data available years
2001	No data available years
2000	No data available years

Infant mortality

2005	165 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	165 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	No data available per 1,000 live births
2002	No data available per 1,000 live births
2001	165 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available per 1,000 live births

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five

2005	257 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	257 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	257 per 1,000 live births	UNDP 2005
2002	257 per 1,000 live births	UNDP 2004
2001	257 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available per 1,000 live births

Births attended by skilled personnel

1996-2004	14 percent	UNDP 2006
1995-2003	14 percent	UNDP 2005
1995-2002	No data available percent
1995-2001	No data available percent
1995-2000	No data available percent

Maternal mortality
1900 per 100,000 live births (2000)
Source: UNDP 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
No data available

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)

1996-2005	39 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004	39 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003	No data available percent
1995-2002	No data available percent
1995-2001	48 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000	No data available percent

Percentage of undernourished population
No data available percent

Population with access to improved water

2004	39 percent	UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Population with access to improved sanitation

2004	34 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Literacy - average
28.1 percent (2004)
Source: UNDP 2006

Literacy - male
43.1 percent (2004)
Source: UNDP 2006

Literacy - female
12.6 percent (2004)
Source: UNDP 2006

Landlines telephones

2005	3 per 1,000 people	International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2006
2004	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2003	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2002	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2001	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2000	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006

Cellular telephone subscribers

2005	40 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2004	21 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2003	7 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2002	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2001	No data available per 1,000 people
2000	No data available per 1,000 people

Internet users

2005	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2004	0.9 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2003	0.7 per 1,000 people	ITU 2006
2002	No data available per 1,000 people
2001	No data available per 1,000 people
2000	No data available per 1,000 people

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 145=most corrupt)

2006	Not ranked
2005	117 (joint)	Transparency International
2004	133 (joint)	Transparency International
2003	Not ranked
2002	Not ranked
2001	Not ranked
2000	Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method
No data available current US$

GDP

2005	7.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004	6.0 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006
2003	4.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002	4.0 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006
2001	2.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2006
2000	No data available current US$ billions

Annual GDP growth

2005	14.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004	8.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003	15.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002	No data available percent
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Annual inflation

2005	11.9 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004	17.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003	6.4 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002	No data available percent
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians
19 per 100,000 people (1990-2004)
Source: UNDP 2006

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)

2005	<0.1 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2006
2003	<0.1 percent	UNAIDS 2006

Malaria
Risk from P. vivax and P. falciparum from May through November below 2000 metres altitude. P. falciparum resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases

2005	168 per 100,000 people	WHO 2007
2004	178 per 100,000 people	178
2003	333 per 100,000 people	WHO 2006
2002	195 per 100,000 people	WHO 2007
2001	333 per 100,000 people	WHO 2006
2000	209 per 100,000 people	WHO 2007

Number of refugees originating here

2005	1908052	Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2004	2084925	UNHCR
2003	2136043	UNHCR
2002	2510294	UNHCR
2001	3809767	UNHCR
2000	3587336	UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here

2006	35	UNHCR
2005	32	UNHCR
2004	30	UNHCR
2003	22	UNHCR
2002	3	UNHCR
2001	6	UNHCR
2000	No data available

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate

2006	132000	Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2006
2005	153192 - 200000	IDMC 2006

Landmine casualties per year

2004	878	Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003	1018	Landmine Monitor Report 2005

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (2002)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on health

2003-2004	No data available percent
2002	3.1 percent	UNDP 2005
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent