Population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Population of compulsory school age, female was 4.94 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan is 4.94 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan peaked at 4.94 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.55 million, in 1998.
Afghanistan ranks 23rd of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.55 million | — |
| 1999 | 1.63 million | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 1.71 million | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 1.71 million | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.78 million | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 1.94 million | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 2.05 million | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 2.12 million | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 2.23 million | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 2.32 million | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 3.29 million | +41.9% |
| 2009 | 3.44 million | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 3.55 million | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 3.63 million | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 3.78 million | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 3.89 million | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 3.99 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 4.10 million | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 4.16 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.23 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 4.31 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 4.40 million | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 4.50 million | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 4.63 million | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 4.67 million | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 4.71 million | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 4.82 million | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 4.94 million | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.59 million | 1.55 million | 1.63 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.26 million | 1.71 million | 3.44 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.00 million | 3.55 million | 4.40 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.71 million | 4.50 million | 4.94 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 67,949 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 95,218 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 115,568 (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 315,412 (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan?
- Population of compulsory school age, female in Afghanistan was 4.94 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.94 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.55 million in 1998.
- How does Afghanistan rank for population of compulsory school age, female?
- Afghanistan ranks 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population of compulsory school age, female rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release