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

Health

live 6.1 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 4.9 times more doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Kyrgyzstan has 15.7 as of 2023.

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have 68.3% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kyrgyzstan scores 69 as of 2021.

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be 88.9% more likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kyrgyzstan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 73.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.

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make 7.4 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Kyrgyzstan, the GDP per capita is $3,081 as of 2025.

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Life

be 91.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Kyrgyzstan, 42.0 women do as of 2023.

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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.

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be 69.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, 14.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 44.6% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, there are 19.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 5.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, about 92.0% do as of 2024.

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be 17.5% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 95% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 70.0% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 2.4 times more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Kyrgyzstan spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 56.6% less likely to be murdered

Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kyrgyzstan, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 44.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kyrgyzstan, they kill 13.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 97.5 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Kyrgyzstan has 7.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 38.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kyrgyzstan, it causes 88.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.3 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kyrgyzstan emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2018–2020). How we calculate this

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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