Human Development Index in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Human Development Index was 0.496 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Afghanistan, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, human development index in Afghanistan stood at 0.496.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Afghanistan peaked at 0.507 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.285, in 1990.
Afghanistan ranks 181st of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Human Development Index in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.285 | — |
| 1991 | 0.291 | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 0.301 | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 0.311 | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 0.305 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 0.329 | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 0.334 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 0.338 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.338 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.347 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 0.351 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 0.355 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 0.383 | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 0.392 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 0.408 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 0.417 | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 0.426 | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 0.442 | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 0.446 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.458 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 0.465 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 0.474 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.484 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 0.492 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 0.497 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.496 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.495 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 0.496 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.498 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.507 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 0.501 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 0.486 | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 0.495 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 0.496 | +0.2% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 0.496 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.496, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 0.496 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.754, 66% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3179 | 0.285 | 0.347 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4078 | 0.351 | 0.458 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4904 | 0.465 | 0.507 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4945 | 0.486 | 0.501 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More reference data data for Afghanistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8991 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4362 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 18.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.38 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Afghanistan?
- Human development index in Afghanistan was 0.496 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.507 in 2019.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.285 in 1990.
- How does Afghanistan rank for human development index?
- Afghanistan ranks 181st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.