northern provinces from the rest of the country; the
highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)

People
Afghanistan

Population:

32,738,376 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,474,394/female 7,121,145)
15-64 years: 53% (male 8,901,880/female 8,447,983)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 383,830/female 409,144) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.626% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

45.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

19.56 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 154.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 158.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 150.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 44.21 years
male: 44.04 years
female: 44.39 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.58 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.01% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups:

Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%,
Baloch 2%, other 4%

Religions:

Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%

Languages:

Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic
languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years
male: 11 years
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