Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Philippines, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years less
In Philippines, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Philippines, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
see 41.1% less spent on your healthcare
Philippines spends $560 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 60.0% fewer doctors per person
Philippines has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 29.3% less access to essential health services
Philippines scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Philippines, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
make 90.0% less money
Philippines has a GDP per capita of $4,171 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Philippines, there are approximately 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Philippines, approximately 84.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.2% less likely to be literate
In Philippines, the literacy rate is 98.5% as of 2020. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Philippines, approximately 21.7 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 13.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Philippines, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 98% 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.
be 76.1% less likely to have internet access
In Philippines, approximately 67.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 15.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Philippines, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (98% 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 2.9 times more on healthcare
Philippines spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Philippines, road accidents kill 9.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.9% less home broadband
Philippines has 7.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 96.8% more strain on fresh water
Philippines withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 81.3% less CO2
Philippines emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 55.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Philippines, air pollution causes 92.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Philippines vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Philippines? See an in-depth size comparison.