Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkey instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 11.1 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkey, that number is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkey spends $1,769 as of 2023.
have 7.1 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Turkey has 22.4 as of 2022.
have 85.4% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkey scores 76 as of 2021.
be 25.3% less likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkey, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 39.9% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkey, that number is 28.8% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 36.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkey, that number is 8.5% as of 2025.
make 44.6 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Turkey, the GDP per capita is $18,599 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.1% 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 Turkey, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Turkey, it is 97.3% as of 2021.
be 83.4% 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 Turkey, on the other hand, 8.0 children do as of 2024.
have 68.6% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkey, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Turkey, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkey, about 89.8% do as of 2025.
be 18.8% 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 Turkey, that number is 96% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.4% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkey, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 19.9% less likely to be murdered
Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkey, that number is 3.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 73.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkey, they kill 6.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 292.9 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Turkey has 23.4 as of 2024.
live with 12.5% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkey withdraws 48% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkey, it causes 39.0 as of 2019.
emit 19.2 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkey emits 5.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Turkey
Turkey: At a glance
How big is Turkey compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.