Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 18.9 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Kazakhstan, that number is 73 years (67 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Kazakhstan, that number is 21.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 17.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Kazakhstan, the GDP per capita is $35,500 as of 2023.

be 66.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Kazakhstan, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.

be 90.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Kazakhstan, however, that number is 5.2% as of 2022.

pay a 50.0% lower top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Kazakhstan, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 97.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Kazakhstan, 13.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Kazakhstan, it is 99.8% as of 2018.

be 81.7% 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 Kazakhstan, on the other hand, 19.2 children do as of 2022.

have 49.7% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kazakhstan, there are 17.2 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 Kazakhstan, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 4.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Kazakhstan, about 86.0% do as of 2022.

be 27.3% 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 Kazakhstan, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 75.5% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Kazakhstan, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 55.2% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Kazakhstan spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan: At a glance

Kazakhstan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 2,699,700 sq km. Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70 percent Muslim. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; managing Islamic revivalism; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
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How big is Kazakhstan compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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