The Taliban-run National Statistics and Information Authority has estimated Afghanistan’s population for the current year to be 35.7 million.
Taliban has not provided details on their method for the census. Ismatullah Hakimi, deputy head of the Taliban for the statistics authority, presented the annual report, stating that the population includes 18.2 million men and 17.5 million women.
According to the report, 9.2 million people live in urban areas, 15 million reside in rural areas, and 1.5 million are nomads.
The Taliban’s National Statistics and Information Authority did not provide details on the methodology used for these population estimates.
According to the latest report from the International Organization for Migration, around eight million Afghan citizens have migrated since 2020. Nearly one million of these migrants have sought asylum in European countries, while a significant number have moved to neighboring countries, particularly Iran.
It has been over 40 years since Afghanistan’s last comprehensive census, conducted in 1979. Since then, no standard scientific census has been carried out.
In the same session, Ismatullah Hakimi reiterated that, along with other activities, the National Statistics and Information Authority annually estimates the country’s population. For 2024, the estimated population includes 18.2 million men and 17.5 million women. Additionally, according to these estimates, 9.2 million people live in cities, 25 million in rural areas, and 1.5 million lead a nomadic lifestyle.
