Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 16.0 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Pakistan, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 56.4% more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Pakistan, that number is 8.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $5,600 as of 2023.

be 61.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 59.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Pakistan, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

Life

be 75.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Pakistan, 154.0 women do as of 2020.

be 55.5% more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 58.0% as of 2019.

be 48.5% 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 Pakistan, on the other hand, 54.0 children do as of 2022.

have 25.4% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 25.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 11.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Pakistan, that number is 95% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 16.7% more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Pakistan, about 21.0% do as of 2021.

be 22.9% 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 Pakistan, that number is 94% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 17.2% less on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Pakistan spends 2.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 81.9% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Pakistan, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Pakistan: At a glance

Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 770,875 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
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How big is Pakistan compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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