

| Population | - |
| Population annual growth rate | - |
| Urban population | - |
| Major ethnic and linguistic groups | Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% |
| Languages | Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism |
| Religion | Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1% |
| Life expectancy (at birth) | 43 years |
| Infant mortality (under one) | 165 per 1,000 live births |
| Under five mortality | 257 per 1,000 live births |
| Maternal mortality rate | 1600 per 100,000 live births |
| Adult HIV prevalence rate (ages 15-49) | 0.1% |
| Percentage population with access to safe drinking water | 39% |
| Adult literacy rate | 28% |
| Gross Domestic Product (US$ billions) | 8.4 |
| Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (US$) | 250 |
| Proportion of population living on below $1 a day | - |
Source: World Bank, CIA World Factbook and Unicef's State of the World's Children 2008