"Afghans" redirects here. For other uses, see
Afghan. [Image:Languages of afghanistan-provinces.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Languages of Afghanistan ]] [Image:Ethnic groups of afghanistan-provinces.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Ethnic groups of Afghanistan ]]The Demographics of
Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed. This reflects its location astride historic trade and invasion routes leading from
Central Asia into South and Southwest Asia.
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group, accounting for about 42% of the population.
Tajik (27%),
Hazara (9%),
Uzbek (9%),
Aimak (4%),
Turkmen (3%),
Baluch (4%) and other small groups (4%) make up the remaining 58%.
Pashto and
Persian (
Dari) are both official languages of the country. Persian is spoken by at least half of the population and serves as a lingua franca for most Afghans. Pashto is spoken widely in the south, east and south west, Uzbek and Turkmen are spoken in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects.
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Population:
29,928,987 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 6,842,857/female 6,524,485)
15-64 years: 52.9% (male 8,124,077/female 7,713,603)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 353,193/female 370,772) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.56 years
male: 17.55 years
female: 17.57 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
4.77%
note: this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
47.02 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
20.75 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
21.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 163.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 167.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 158.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 42.9 years
male: 42.71 years
female: 43.1 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk countrywide below 2,000 meters from March through November
animal contact disease: rabies (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%
Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36%
male: 51%
female: 21% (1999 est.)
People - note:
of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million have returned
More about Afghanistan:
Introduction
Geography
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military