Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 19.1 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.

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be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.

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make 99.3% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.

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Life

have 7.1 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 18.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity

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

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be 83.2% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.

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be 19.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Afghanistan, 81% of people do as of 2024.

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Safety

be 10.6 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 99.8% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 93.9% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), The World Factbook (2016–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Afghanistan

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Afghanistan is 84.4% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 589 times smaller than Afghanistan.
→
Moving from Hong Kong to Afghanistan · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Afghanistan: At a glance

Afghanistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 652,230 sq km. Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was re-elected in August 2009 for a second term. Despite gains toward building a stable central government, a resurgent Taliban and continuing provincial instability - particularly in the south and the east - remain serious challenges for the Afghan Government.
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How big is Afghanistan compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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