Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 15.1 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 20.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 10.4 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 2.1 times more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 33.1% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 64.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 60.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In United Kingdom, however, that number is 18.6% as of 2017.
make 138.2 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.5% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 91.5% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 71.8% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% do as of 2024.
be 23.7% 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 United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.8% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
spend 2.0 times more on education
Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Safety
be 72.2% less likely to be murdered
Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 90.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 527.0 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 73.8% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 90.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 15.1 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.