Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people was 0.4389 per 100 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan, 1960–2023
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
In 2023, adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan stood at 0.4389 per 100 people. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 44.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan peaked at 0.4389 per 100 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0187 per 100 people, in 2009.
That places Afghanistan 177th out of 212 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | per 100 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.0893 per 100 people | — |
| 1961 | 0.0856 per 100 people | -4.2% |
| 1962 | 0.0856 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.0856 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0856 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.0972 per 100 people | +13.6% |
| 1966 | 0.0934 per 100 people | -3.9% |
| 1967 | 0.0934 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.0934 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.0934 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1488 per 100 people | +59.3% |
| 1971 | 0.1432 per 100 people | -3.8% |
| 1972 | 0.1432 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.1432 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.1432 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.1768 per 100 people | +23.5% |
| 1976 | 0.1787 per 100 people | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 0.175 per 100 people | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1955 per 100 people | +11.7% |
| 1979 | 0.1948 per 100 people | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 0.2066 per 100 people | +6.1% |
| 1981 | 0.2842 per 100 people | +37.5% |
| 1982 | 0.2776 per 100 people | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 0.2914 per 100 people | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 0.2929 per 100 people | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 0.2949 per 100 people | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 0.3063 per 100 people | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 0.3197 per 100 people | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 0.3274 per 100 people | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 0.3279 per 100 people | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 0.301 per 100 people | -8.2% |
| 1991 | 0.302 per 100 people | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 0.218 per 100 people | -27.8% |
| 1993 | 0.194 per 100 people | -11.0% |
| 1994 | 0.178 per 100 people | -8.2% |
| 1995 | 0.17 per 100 people | -4.5% |
| 1996 | 0.163 per 100 people | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 0.157 per 100 people | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 0.151 per 100 people | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 0.146 per 100 people | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 0.1441 per 100 people | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 0.143 per 100 people | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 0.1546 per 100 people | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 0.1614 per 100 people | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0187 per 100 people | -88.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0588 per 100 people | +214.6% |
| 2011 | 0.046 per 100 people | -21.7% |
| 2012 | 0.2946 per 100 people | +539.9% |
| 2013 | 0.3028 per 100 people | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.3108 per 100 people | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.3251 per 100 people | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 0.3291 per 100 people | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3328 per 100 people | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 0.3478 per 100 people | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3557 per 100 people | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.3732 per 100 people | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 0.3645 per 100 people | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 0.3998 per 100 people | +9.7% |
| 2023 | 0.4389 per 100 people | +9.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 0.4389 per 100 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.2996 per 100 people, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 0.4389 per 100 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.83 per 100 people, 4% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +539.9% | 0.046 per 100 people | 0.2946 per 100 people |
| 2010 | +214.6% | 0.0187 per 100 people | 0.0588 per 100 people |
| 2009 | -88.4% | 0.1614 per 100 people | 0.0187 per 100 people |
| 1970 | +59.3% | 0.0934 per 100 people | 0.1488 per 100 people |
| 1981 | +37.5% | 0.2066 per 100 people | 0.2842 per 100 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0902 per 100 people | 0.0856 per 100 people | 0.0972 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1642 per 100 people | 0.1432 per 100 people | 0.1955 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2929 per 100 people | 0.2066 per 100 people | 0.3279 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.198 per 100 people | 0.146 per 100 people | 0.302 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1243 per 100 people | 0.0187 per 100 people | 0.1614 per 100 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.2703 per 100 people | 0.046 per 100 people | 0.3557 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3941 per 100 people | 0.3645 per 100 people | 0.4389 per 100 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 174 Sao Tome and Principe 0.7561 per 100 people compare
- 175 Equatorial Guinea 0.6315 per 100 people compare
- 176 Ethiopia 0.5798 per 100 people compare
- 178 Niger 0.4349 per 100 people compare
- 179 Uganda 0.3918 per 100 people compare
- 180 Burkina Faso 0.347 per 100 people compare
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 adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan?
- Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people in Afghanistan was 0.4389 per 100 people in 2023, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest adoption of communication technologies per 100 people recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4389 per 100 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest adoption of communication technologies per 100 people recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0187 per 100 people in 2009.
- How does Afghanistan rank for adoption of communication technologies per 100 people?
- Afghanistan ranks 177th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adoption of communication technologies per 100 people rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Adoption of communication technologies per 100 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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