Life Expectancy in Afghanistan (2024): Men 64.7, Women 67.8

Life expectancy in Afghanistan since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Afghanistan has risen by 33.5 years, from 32.8 to 66.3. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 2.5 years (from 62.9 in 2019 to 60.4 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 3.1 years longer than men (67.8 vs 64.7).

Expected age at death in Afghanistan by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	64.7	68.8	69.9	73.5	83.5
Women	67.8	72.1	73.1	75.9	84.6

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Afghanistan’s figures (method).

How people die in Afghanistan

Chronic diseases: 40.7%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 34.7%
Injuries: 24.6%

In 2019, 41% of deaths in Afghanistan were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Afghanistan man has a 32% chance and a woman 34% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 15.9 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Afghanistan, about 53.0 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Afghanistan compared with its region

Afghanistan is in the World Bank’s Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan region, where the average life expectancy is 75.9 years. It ranks #22 of 23 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
15	Syria	72.6	70.2	74.9
16	Iraq	72.4	70.5	74.2
17	Egypt	71.8	69.7	74.0
18	Libya	71.1	69.6	72.7
19	Yemen	69.4	67.4	71.5
20	Palestine	69.2	65.2	74.3
21	Pakistan	67.8	65.5	70.3
22	Afghanistan	66.3	64.7	67.8
23	Djibouti	66.2	63.7	68.7

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Afghanistan?

66.3 years in 2024: 64.7 for men and 67.8 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Afghanistan?

Yes. Women in Afghanistan live about 3.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Afghanistan rank for life expectancy?

Afghanistan ranks #183 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 7.2 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Afghanistan?

Life expectancy at birth (66.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Afghanistan can expect to live to about 69.9, and a 40-year-old woman to about 73.1.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.