Taliban Reject UN Population Estimate for Afghanistan

DID Press: Afghanistan’s National Statistics and Information Authority under the Taliban has rejected the United Nations’ estimate of the country’s population, claiming international agencies inflate the figures to attract humanitarian funding. The authority estimates Afghanistan’s population at 37.2 million, compared with the UN’s estimate of 48.6 million.

The Taliban-run statistics agency said its latest assessment places Afghanistan’s current population at 37.2 million—approximately 11.4 million fewer than the figure recently published by the United Nations.

Agency spokesperson Mohammad Halim Rafi claimed that some international organizations overstate Afghanistan’s population to secure humanitarian assistance. According to him, women account for 49 percent of the population and men for 51 percent. He added that around 1.5 million people are nomads (Kuchis), while nearly 8 million Afghan citizens living abroad were not included in this year’s estimate.

Rafi also said that about 70 percent of the population resides in rural areas and 26 percent in urban centers, describing the UN’s population estimate as inaccurate.

The comments came after the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated Afghanistan’s population at 48.6 million on July 11, saying the figure serves as the basis for humanitarian planning. OCHA noted that the large-scale return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan was among the factors contributing to population growth.

Demographic experts say the discrepancy is largely attributable to differing estimation methodologies rather than simple error. They also point to the absence of a comprehensive civil registration system, continuous population displacement, and large-scale migration as major obstacles to producing precise population data in Afghanistan.