Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Germany instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 27.9 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Germany, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.1 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Germany, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 30.9 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Germany, the GDP per capita is $61,900 as of 2023.

be 78.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Germany, that number is 3.0% as of 2023.

be 72.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Germany, however, that number is 14.8% as of 2021.

pay a 2.4 times higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Germany, the top tax rate is 47.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 99.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Germany, 4.0 women do as of 2020.

be 97.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Germany, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 74.0% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Germany, there are 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Germany, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 5.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Germany, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Germany, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 17.4% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Germany, that number is 12.8% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 62.1% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Germany spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).

Germany: At a glance

Germany is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 348,672 sq km. As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
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