Afghanistan vs Russia
Russia is 26.2 times larger than Afghanistan. Afghanistan would fit into Russia about 26 times.
AfghanistanRussiaAfghanistan moved onto Russia · Equal-area projection
Remote islands and overseas parts not drawn; the figures include them
0.04×
Afghanistan is 0.04× the area of Russia. Put the other way, Russia is 26.2× the size of Afghanistan.
 Afghanistan |  Russia | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaRussia: 26.2× the area | 652,230 km²#40 of 194 | 17,075,400 km²#1 of 194 |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Has a coast |
| Land neighbours | 6 | 14 |
| People | ||
| PopulationRussia: 3.27× the population | 43,844,111#36 of 194 · 2025 | 143,513,328#9 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityAfghanistan: 8.0× the density | 67 / km²#119 of 194 | 8.4 / km²#183 of 194 |
| Urban populationRussia: 2.91× the urban share | 26%#179 of 192 · 2025 | 75%#57 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateAfghanistan: 3.35× the births per woman | 4.76 per woman#9 of 192 · 2024 | 1.42 per woman#154 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthAfghanistan: 2.88 points higher | +2.77%#19 of 192 · 2025 | −0.11%#163 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateAfghanistan: 4.17× the birth rate | 35.0 per 1,000#9 of 192 · 2024 | 8.4 per 1,000#163 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateRussia: 2.18× the death rate | 5.7 per 1,000#148 of 192 · 2024 | 12.4 per 1,000#15 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Afghanistan: 25.6 points higher | 42.6%#11 of 192 · 2025 | 17.0%#142 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Russia: 15.4 points higher | 2.4%#185 of 192 · 2025 | 17.8%#42 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationAfghanistan: 0.1 per 1,000 higher | −1.7 per 1,000#132 of 192 · 2025 | −1.8 per 1,000#137 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroadAfghanistan: 88.3× the refugees for its size | 60.93 per 1,000#6 of 190 · 2025 | 0.69 per 1,000#68 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyRussia: 7.1 years longer | 66.3 years#158 of 192 · 2024 | 73.4 years#101 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 11.8× the infant mortality | 48.3 per 1,000 births#13 of 191 · 2024 | 4.1 per 1,000 births#150 of 191 · 2024 |
| DoctorsRussia: 16.0× the doctors per person | 0.32 per 1,000#136 of 178 · 2023 | 5.11 per 1,000#8 of 178 · 2022 |
| University enrolmentRussia: 5.54× the university enrolment | 10.9%#128 of 145 · 2020 | 60.4%#56 of 145 · 2024 |
| Human Development IndexRussia: 0.336 higher | 0.496#178 of 190 · 2023 | 0.832#63 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaRussia: 40.9× the income per person | $390#184 of 185 · 2024 | $15,960#63 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPRussia: 144× the economy | $17.78B2024 | $2.56T2025 |
| Income group | Low income | High income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Russia: 22.2× the output per person | $2,236#174 of 184 · 2024 | $49,568#45 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthAfghanistan: 0.9 points higher | +1.9%#134 of 187 · 2024 | +1.0%#156 of 187 · 2025 |
| InflationRussia: 15.3 points higher | −6.6%#176 of 176 · 2024 | +8.7%#25 of 176 · 2025 |
| UnemploymentAfghanistan: 6.38× the unemployment | 13.4%#20 of 178 · 2025 | 2.1%#161 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme poverty | — | 0.1%#126 of 149 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | — | 33.0#94 of 149 · 2023 |
| Jobs in agricultureAfghanistan: 46.5 points higher | 51.6% of jobs#23 of 178 · 2025 | 5.1% of jobs#130 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industryRussia: 6.9 points higher | 18.9% of jobs#90 of 178 · 2025 | 25.8% of jobs#39 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in servicesRussia: 39.6 points higher | 29.5% of jobs#165 of 178 · 2025 | 69.1% of jobs#56 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investmentRussia: 0.3 points higher | 0.1% of GDP#158 of 184 · 2021 | 0.4% of GDP#150 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsRussia: 2.5 points higher | 15.7% of GDP#146 of 168 · 2024 | 18.2% of GDP#138 of 168 · 2025 |
| Military spendingRussia: 4.1× the military spending | 1.8% of GDP#75 of 155 · 2021 | 7.5% of GDP#4 of 155 · 2025 |
| Internet usersRussia: 5.86× the share online | 16%#178 of 184 · 2024 | 94%#28 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsRussia: 3.1× the mobile subscriptions | 60 per 100#176 of 191 · 2024 | 186 per 100#5 of 191 · 2024 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaRussia: 26.7× the forest share | 2% of land#172 of 192 · 2024 | 51% of land#47 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personRussia: 49.9× the CO₂ per person | 0.28 t a year#164 of 185 · 2024 | 14.0 t a year#12 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyAfghanistan: 16.5 points higher | 20.0%#107 of 190 · 2022 | 3.5%#162 of 190 · 2021 |
| Access to electricityRussia: 12.2 points higher | 87.8%#143 of 192 · 2024 | 100.0%#1 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Afghanistan: 3.27× the air pollution | 37.9 µg/m³#26 of 191 · 2023 | 11.6 µg/m³#141 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landRussia: 7.9 points higher | 3.6% of land#174 of 191 · 2025 | 11.5% of land#138 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landAfghanistan: 4.6 points higher | 12.0% of land#84 of 190 · 2024 | 7.4% of land#113 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stressAfghanistan: 13.4× the water stress | 54.8%#33 of 176 · 2022 | 4.1%#129 of 176 · 2022 |
| PrecipitationRussia: 1.41× the rain and snow | 327 mm#152 of 180 · 2022 | 460 mm#145 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stabilityRussia: 1.10 higher | −2.04#186 of 193 · 2025 | −0.94#165 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruptionRussia: 0.33 higher | −1.31#173 of 193 · 2025 | −0.98#153 of 193 · 2025 |
| Homicide rateRussia: 1.7× the homicide rate | 4.0 per 100,000#57 of 146 · 2021 | 6.8 per 100,000#38 of 146 · 2021 |
| State | ||
| Status | Independent state | Independent state |
| Government | Theocracytheocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government | Semi-presidential republicsemi-presidential federation |
| Member of | — | G20, BRICS |
| Capital | Kabul | Moscow |
| Currency | Afghani (AFN) | Russian ruble (RUB) |
| Official languages | Arabic, Pashto, Uzbek, Turkmen, Dari, Balochi, Nuristani, Pamir, Pashayi | Russian, Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Chuvash, Ossetian, Crimean Tatar, Yakut, Avar, Udmurt, Tuvan, Erzya, Adyghe, Komi, Buryat, Lezgian, Karachay-Balkar, Ingush, Mari, Moksha, Kabardian, Abaza, Kalmyk, Khakas, Lak, Kumyk, Nogai, Rutulian, Tabasaran, Tat, Aghul, Tsakhur, Dargwa, Southern Altai |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 | UTC+3 · UTC+2 to UTC+12, 11 time zones |
| Calling code | +93 | +7 |
| Region | Southern Asia, Asia | Eastern Europe, Europe |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Afghanistan sits at about 34° N and is stretched to 1.45× its true area; Russia at 66° N is stretched to 6.06×. That difference is why Russia looks so much bigger than it is next to Afghanistan. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Afghanistan bigger than Russia?
- No. Afghanistan is 26.2 times smaller than Russia. Afghanistan covers 652,230 km² and Russia covers 17,075,400 km².
- How many times does Afghanistan fit into Russia?
- About 26 times: Russia has 26.2× the area of Afghanistan.
- Why do Afghanistan and Russia look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Afghanistan is drawn about 1.45× its true area there and Russia about 6.06×. That is why Russia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Afghanistan. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Afghanistan or Russia?
- Russia: 143,513,328 people against 43,844,111. Density: Afghanistan 67 per km², Russia 8.4 per km².
- Which is richer, Afghanistan or Russia?
- By gross national income per person, Russia: $15,960 against $390 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2024) — 40.9× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or Russia?
- In Russia: life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years, against 66.3 — 7.1 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Afghanistan and Russia have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Afghanistan: theocracy; Russia: semi-presidential republic.