Internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Internally displaced people due to conflict was 3.20 million people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan, 1993–2025
Source: UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan is 3.20 million people, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 172.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan peaked at 3.46 million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 15,000 people, in 1993.
That places Afghanistan 10th out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 15,000 people | — |
| 1994 | 332,200 people | +2114.7% |
| 1995 | 159,600 people | -52.0% |
| 1996 | 273,840 people | +71.6% |
| 1997 | 296,795 people | +8.4% |
| 1998 | 315,800 people | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 258,625 people | -18.1% |
| 2000 | 758,625 people | +193.3% |
| 2001 | 1.20 million people | +58.2% |
| 2002 | 665,156 people | -44.6% |
| 2003 | 184,269 people | -72.3% |
| 2004 | 159,549 people | -13.4% |
| 2005 | 142,505 people | -10.7% |
| 2006 | 129,310 people | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 153,718 people | +18.9% |
| 2008 | 230,670 people | +50.1% |
| 2009 | 297,129 people | +28.8% |
| 2010 | 351,907 people | +18.4% |
| 2011 | 447,547 people | +27.2% |
| 2012 | 486,298 people | +8.7% |
| 2013 | 631,286 people | +29.8% |
| 2014 | 805,409 people | +27.6% |
| 2015 | 1.17 million people | +45.8% |
| 2016 | 1.80 million people | +53.1% |
| 2017 | 1.84 million people | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.11 million people | +14.7% |
| 2019 | 2.55 million people | +21.2% |
| 2020 | 2.89 million people | +13.0% |
| 2021 | 3.46 million people | +19.8% |
| 2022 | 3.25 million people | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 3.22 million people | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 3.20 million people | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 3.20 million people | -0.0% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 3.20 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 414,524 people, 7.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +2114.7% | 15,000 people | 332,200 people |
| 2000 | +193.3% | 258,625 people | 758,625 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 235,980 people | 15,000 people | 332,200 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 392,093 people | 129,310 people | 1.20 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.22 million people | 351,907 people | 2.55 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.20 million people | 2.89 million people | 3.46 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More social development data for Afghanistan
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,869 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.67 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0609 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.67 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan?
- Internally displaced people due to conflict in Afghanistan was 3.20 million people in 2025, according to UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.46 million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,000 people in 1993.
- How does Afghanistan rank for internally displaced people due to conflict?
- Afghanistan ranks 10th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is internally displaced people due to conflict rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 172.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Internally displaced people due to conflict. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
People who were forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict or violence.