Afghanistan vs Iran: Population by labor force status bars
Afghanistan
18.66 million
in 2025
Iran
20.35 million
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
21st
Iran rank
19th
Population by labor force status bars over time
- Afghanistan
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 20.35 million against 18.66 million in Afghanistan, a difference of 1.69 million.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times Afghanistan's.
Across all 35 years both countries report, Iran has been ahead every year.
Afghanistan ranks 21st and Iran ranks 19th of 186 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.09 million | 25.58 million | 17.49 million | Iran |
| 2000s | 11.84 million | 19.52 million | 7.67 million | Iran |
| 2010s | 15.37 million | 19.39 million | 4.02 million | Iran |
| 2020s | 17.90 million | 20.68 million | 2.78 million | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by labor force status bars, Afghanistan or Iran?
- Iran, at 20.35 million against 18.66 million in Afghanistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by labor force status bars between Afghanistan and Iran?
- 1.69 million, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Iran?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Afghanistan and Iran rank globally for population by labor force status bars?
- Afghanistan ranks 21st and Iran ranks 19th of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population by labor force status bars. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.