Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 47.3% less likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.9 years less
In Turkmenistan, 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.
see 73.9% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 83.6% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 45.3% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
make 93.6% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 67.4% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 104.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.7% less likely to be literate
In Turkmenistan, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2022. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 58.9% more likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Turkmenistan, 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.
be 36.4% less likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 19.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Turkmenistan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 2.7 times more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 59.5% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
find 98.5% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 97.4% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 64.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.