Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 6.3 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
have 4.8 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 56.1% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
be 83.6% less likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 60.4% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
see 62.9% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
Economy
make 2.5 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
Life
be 96.2% 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 Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Syria, it is 94.4% as of 2021.
be 63.4% 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 Syria, on the other hand, 17.7 children do as of 2024.
have 33.8% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.
be 16.5% 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 Syria, that number is 94% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 81.9% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 85.8 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.
Environment
be 42.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Syria, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.5 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.