Afghanistan vs United Kingdom: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 167 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
United Kingdom has 55% more people than Afghanistan (69.96 million vs 45.04 million). United Kingdom's economy is 327 times the size of Afghanistan's ($4.1 trillion vs $12.56 billion GDP).
Comparing Afghanistan and United Kingdom: Afghanistan leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (35,000) against United Kingdom (1.58); Afghanistan leads on Electricity Installed Capacity (634,100) against United Kingdom (97.06); United Kingdom leads on Apple Import Volume (326.31 million tonnes) against Afghanistan (90,480 tonnes). Across 167 compared metrics, Afghanistan wins on 52 and United Kingdom wins on 102.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 60 metrics compared
- Environment: 11 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 9 metrics compared
- Health: 22 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 40 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 0.08 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 41.44 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 16.09 % | 95.47 %ā | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 17.71 % | 96.3 %ā | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 18% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 96% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 0.08 Mbps | 41.44 Mbpsā | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 17.88 points | 78.89 pointsā | |
| Radios | 167,000ā | 84.5 | |
| Televisions | 100,000ā | 30.5 | |
| Waterways | 1,200 | 3,200ā |
Economy
60 metricsEnvironment
11 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 309,679ā | 5.08M | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | 0 % | 12,600 %ā | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 13.8 Ā°Cā | 10.37 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 7.76ā | 340.94 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 266.24 mm | 962.53 mmā | |
| Population Distribution | populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated | the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and in far-eastern N | |
| Protected Land Area for Adaptation | 3.6 sq km | 28.58 sq kmā | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 3.6 % | 28.4 %ā | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 10.65 Cubic meters per yearā | 9.8 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 65.33 | 147ā | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 12 species | 4 speciesā |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 2.35 % | 9.75 %ā | |
| Agricultural land | 387,372 sq. kmā | 172,448.2 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 652,230ā | 241,930 | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 0 km | 12,429 kmā | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 43.87 cubic meters per inhabitant | 75.83 cubic meters per inhabitantā | |
| Irrigated Land | 24,930ā | 718 |
Government
9 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 6.1 % | 86.77 %ā | |
| Administrative Divisions | 34 | England: 24 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*) two-tier counties: Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, Ess | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 17 indexā | 71 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 17 index | 71 indexā | |
| Independence | 19 | no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union unite England, Scotland, and | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | -2.21 | 10.98ā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 62 per 100,000ā | 130.64 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 17ā | 71 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
22 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 100,000 personnel | 150,000 personnelā | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 1.83 %ā | 2.04 % | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 165,000ā | 153,000 |
People and Society
40 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 65.73 %ā | 46.59 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.42 | 0.79ā | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 69.52 years | 83.69 yearsā | |
| Median age of population | 17.46 years | 40.33 yearsā | |
| Population Change | 1.50M personsā | 377,688.2 persons | |
| Population density | 68.74 per sq. kmā | 288.63 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 45.04M persons | 69.96M personsā | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.09 | 0.67ā | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A | Cā | |
| Beer Consumption per Capita | 0 liters | 3.54 litersā | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 35.99 %ā | 10.76 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 18.9 % | 76.1 %ā | |
| Crude Birth Rate | 35.01 per 1,000 peopleā | 9.89 per 1,000 people | |
| Death Rate (%) | 5.79 %ā | 9.25 % | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 4.3 % of GDP | 5.9 % of GDPā | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 10.79M persons | 15.28M personsā | |
| Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%) | 5.94 % | 79.53 %ā | |
| Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate | 0.08 % | 41.44 %ā | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 104.53 male/female | 105.42 male/femaleā | |
| Human Development Index | 0.18 | 0.78ā | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 9.13 | 35.36ā | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 5.41 years | 11.65 yearsā | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 0 days | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 4.59 people | 9.65 peopleā | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 165.26 | 177.49ā | |
| Mean Years of Schooling | 5.69 years | 12.9 yearsā | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023) note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches | 16 | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 4.37 %ā | 30.33 % | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 82.81 % | 86.48 %ā | |
| Physician Density | 0.32 people/sq km | 3.3 people/sq kmā | |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.86 %ā | 0.4 % | |
| Population living in slums | 74.25 %ā | 0.16 % | |
| Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio | 47.98 | 15.13ā | |
| Total deaths | 213,986.9 personsā | 675,626.2 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 36.45 % | 75.07 %ā | |
| Total fertility rate | 4.57 per womanā | 1.53 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | 192,894.5 persons | 375,700.7 personsā | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 50.42 per live births | 4.03 per live birthsā | |
| Urban Population Annual Growth Rate | 3.69 %ā | 0.39 % | |
| Voting Age Population | 9.63 millions | 61.83 millionsā |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.04 | 2.25ā | |
| Airports | 68 | 1,057ā | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 2 | 618ā | |
| Heliports | 8 | 139ā |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 74.83M USD | 29.35B USDā |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š¦š« Afghanistan | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 7.5 %ā | 3.75 % |
Frequently Asked Questions About Afghanistan vs United Kingdom
Which has a larger population, Afghanistan or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom. United Kingdom has 55% more people than Afghanistan (69.96 million vs 45.04 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Afghanistan or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom. United Kingdom's economy is 327 times the size of Afghanistan's ($4.1 trillion vs $12.56 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Afghanistan or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $58,622 in United Kingdom vs $278.78 in Afghanistan (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).