Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pakistan instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
have 3.7 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Pakistan has 11.6 as of 2021.
be 19.2% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.
see 53.9% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.
be 56.7% more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 59.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pakistan, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.
make 3.8 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.
Life
be 70.2% 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 Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.9% more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.
have 21.7% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.1% 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 Pakistan, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Pakistan, about 57.2% do as of 2024.
be 12.2% 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 Pakistan, that number is 91% of people on average (93% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.8% less on education
Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Pakistan spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 83.2% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 50.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Pakistan, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 18.4 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.
live with 2.0 times more strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.
Environment
be 26.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Pakistan, it causes 105.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Pakistan
Pakistan: At a glance
How big is Pakistan compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.