Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 18.7 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Mexico, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.3 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Mexico, that number is 28.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.2 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Mexico, the GDP per capita is $22,400 as of 2023.

be 80.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Mexico, that number is 2.8% as of 2023.

be 33.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Mexico, however, that number is 36.3% as of 2022.

pay a 75.0% higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Mexico, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 90.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Mexico, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Mexico, it is 95.2% as of 2020.

be 88.7% 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 Mexico, on the other hand, 11.9 children do as of 2022.

have 58.2% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mexico, there are 14.3 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 Mexico, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 4.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Mexico, about 76.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.3% 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 Mexico, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 60.0% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Mexico, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 48.3% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Mexico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP.

Mexico: At a glance

Mexico is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 1,943,945 sq km. The site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec - Mexico was conquered and colonized by Spain in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved its independence early in the 19th century. The global financial crisis beginning in late 2008 caused a massive economic downturn the following year, although growth returned quickly in 2010. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PENA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful drug-trafficking organizations have engaged in bloody feuding, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides.
Read more

How big is Mexico compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Mexico.or Afghanistan It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.