Moving to Canada from Afghanistan

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Afghanistan to Canada, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Toronto averages 55°F vs 67°F in Kabul, making it significantly cooler.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Afghanistan to Canada, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
20,180 ↓ 15% vs 2022

people moved from Afghanistan to Canada · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Canada?

Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Afghanistan and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AF
4.0
CA
2.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AF
24.1
CA
4.7

Canada performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AF
$330
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AF
3.2
CA
28.2

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AF
143.0
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AF
0.3t
CA
14.0t

Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though Canada leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AF
0.1
CA
42.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AF
54.8%
CA
3.7%

Canada performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AF
13.3%
CA
6.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AF
$417
CA
$55,698

Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AF
66.3 yrs
CA
82.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AF
48.3
CA
4.7

Canada performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2008–2020), Afghanistan Revenue Department (2016), Canada Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Canada vs Afghanistan

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kabul Rain: 12.3 in/yr (312 mm)
67° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Toronto Rain: 32.8 in/yr (834 mm)
55° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kabul Toronto
Jan–Mar 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 34°/23°F (1°/-5°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 64°/49°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) 46°/35°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Kabul Toronto
Jan 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) 30°/19°F (-1.1°/-7.3°C)
Feb 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) 32°/21°F (-0.2°/-6.3°C)
Mar 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) 40°/28°F (4.6°/-2.0°C)
Apr 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 52°/39°F (11.3°/3.8°C)
May 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) 65°/50°F (18.5°/9.9°C)
Jun 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.8°C)
Jul 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 80°/64°F (26.4°/17.9°C)
Aug 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) 78°/63°F (25.3°/17.3°C)
Sep 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) 69°/56°F (20.7°/13.2°C)
Oct 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.3°C)
Nov 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) 45°/36°F (7.4°/2.2°C)
Dec 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) 35°/25°F (1.8°/-3.7°C)

Data: Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Can you move from Afghanistan to Canada?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.

Afghanistan passport

Afghanistan passport holder visiting Canada

Visa Required
Afghanistan passport holders need a visa to enter Canada.
Canada passport

Canada passport holder visiting Afghanistan

Visa Required
Canada passport holders need a visa to enter Afghanistan.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Canada?

With 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and Canada.

Is Canada safe for expats?

Canada performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 3.2 in Afghanistan. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).

What's the weather like in Canada compared to Afghanistan?

The average high temperature in Toronto is 55°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Toronto receives around 32.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.

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At a Glance

AF CA
Population 43,844,111 41,651,653
Currency Afghan Afghani (AFN) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Dari, Pashto, Turkmen English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +93 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number — 911