Air passengers in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Air passengers was 1.03 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.03 million
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
100th
of 183 countries
All-time high
2.28 million
in 2011
All-time low
52,700
in 1998
Years of data
45
1970–2023

Air passengers in Afghanistan, 1970–2023

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M1970199620231970: 84.7k1971: 97.4k1972: 104.9k1973: 96.6k1974: 96.1k1975: 99.0k1976: 101.7k1977: 111.2k1978: 100.4k1979: 93.0k1980: 76.2k1981: 129.1k1982: 181.0k1983: 200.2k1984: 220.4k1985: 225.5k1986: 184.4k1987: 217.9k1988: 201.0k1989: 220.0k1990: 241.4k1991: 212.3k1992: 212.3k1993: 197.0k1994: 238.4k1995: 250.4k1996: 255.6k1997: 89.6k1998: 52.7k1999: 140.2k2000: 149.7k2010: 2.0M2011: 2.3M2012: 1.7M2013: 2.0M2014: 2.2M2015: 1.9M2016: 1.9M2017: 1.6M2018: 1.1M2019: 1.1M2020: 449.0k2021: 293.2k2022: 1.2M2023: 1.0M

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Afghanistan recorded 1.03 million for air passengers in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.9% on the previous year and down 49.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Afghanistan peaked at 2.28 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 52,700, in 1998.

That places Afghanistan 100th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 98,500 84,700 111,200 10
1980s 185,570 76,200 225,500 10
1990s 188,990 52,700 255,600 10
2000s 149,705 149,705 149,705 1
2010s 1.80 million 1.07 million 2.28 million 10
2020s 732,764 293,213 1.16 million 4

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 97 Libya 1.09 million compare
  2. 98 Turkmenistan 1.08 million compare
  3. 99 Senegal 1.07 million compare
  4. 101 Dominican Republic 996,238 compare
  5. 102 Sudan 911,090 compare
  6. 103 Laos 842,280 compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Afghanistan?
Air passengers in Afghanistan was 1.03 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 2.28 million in 2011.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 52,700 in 1998.
How does Afghanistan rank for air passengers?
Afghanistan ranks 100th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 49.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.