Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Kyrgyzstan instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 18.7 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 16.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2020, while in Kyrgyzstan, the GDP per capita is $4,700 as of 2020.

be 86.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 23.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 3.2% as of 2019.

be 63.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Kyrgyzstan, however, that number is 20.1% as of 2019.

Life

be 90.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 638.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Kyrgyzstan, 60.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Kyrgyzstan, it is 99.6% as of 2018.

be 75.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, 25.7 children do as of 2022.

have 44.9% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Kyrgyzstan, there are 19.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 3.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Kyrgyzstan, about 55.0% do as of 2022.

be 22.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 94% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 65.9% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 13.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 68.8% more on education

Afghanistan spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Kyrgyzstan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Kyrgyzstan: At a glance

Kyrgyzstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 191,801 sq km. A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years, he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual fleeing to Minsk, Belarus. His successor, Roza OTUNBAEVA, served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, and terrorism.
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