*All data given is an average of the preceding five year period.
**The drop 1955 is due to different sources that were used; Gapminder data was used until 1950, UN data was used from 1950 onwards.
Life expectancy in Afghanistan remained below thirty in the nineteenth century, and it was not until the mid-1900s that life expectancy increased at a significantly higher rate, and by 2020, Afghanistan's life expectancy is expected to be just over 64 years. A noticeable drop in life expectancy appeared between 1915 and 1920, as the Spanish Flu epidemic that swept the globe impacted the population of Afghanistan severely. (A second drop can be observed in the early 1950s, however this is due to contrasting sources, as more recent data from the UN becomes available). Despite continuous war in the country since the late 1970s, medical advancements have brought Afghanistan's life expectancy closer to the global average in recent decades.
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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), & Gapminder. (August 31, 2019). Life expectancy (from birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020* [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), und Gapminder. "Life expectancy (from birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020*." Chart. August 31, 2019. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 21, 2026. /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Gapminder. (2019). Life expectancy (from birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020*. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 21, 2026. /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Gapminder. "Life Expectancy (from Birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020*." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 31 Aug 2019, /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) & Gapminder, Life expectancy (from birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020* ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/ (last visited July 21, 2026)
Life expectancy (from birth) in Afghanistan from 1800 to 2020* [Graph], United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), & Gapminder, August 31, 2019. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1071000/life-expectancy-afghanistan-all-time/