Population: US Bureau of the Census--16,450,304 (July 1991), growth rate 5.2% (1991) and excludes 3,750,796 refugees in Pakistan and 1,607,281 refugees in Iran; note--another report indicates a July 1990 population of 16,904,904, including 3,271,580 refugees in Pakistan and 1,277,700 refugees in Iran

Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 20 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 28 migrants/1,000 population (1991); note--there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are fragmentary and unreliable

Infant mortality rate: 164 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 43 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Afghan(s); adjective--Afghan

Ethnic divisions: Pashtun 50%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 12-15%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and other

Religion: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shia Muslim 15%, other 1%

Language: Pashtu 50%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%; much bilingualism

Literacy: 29% (male 44%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force: 4,980,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7%, (1980 est.)

Organized labor: some small government-controlled unions

NOTE: The information regarding Afghanistan on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Afghanistan People 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Afghanistan People 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.