Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Nepal, you would:
Health
be 64.5% less likely to die by suicide
Nepal has a suicide rate of 10.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.3 years less
In Nepal, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Nepal, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
have 68.6% fewer doctors per person
Nepal has 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 24.1% less access to essential health services
Nepal scores 54 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Nepal, 10.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Nepal, 20.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
make 72.9% less money
Nepal has a GDP per capita of $1,536 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 84.7% more children
In Nepal, there are approximately 19.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Nepal, approximately 142.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 47.7% less likely to be literate
In Nepal, the literacy rate is 71.2% as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Nepal, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 65.3% less likely to have internet access
In Nepal, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 13.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Nepal, approximately 94% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Nepal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 14.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Nepal, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 89.2% more likely to be murdered
Nepal has a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.2% less home broadband
Nepal has 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 6.6 times more strain on fresh water
Nepal withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 48.1% less CO2
Nepal emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 88.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Nepal, air pollution causes 76.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Nepal vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Nepal? See an in-depth size comparison.