Extreme Poverty in Afghanistan: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

To observe the data of human existence is to witness the quiet rhythm of survival. Behind these percentages lie individual experiences defined by the struggle to secure the international extreme poverty line of .15/day. This figure represents the baseline of subsistence, marking the boundary between acute scarcity and the possibility of basic security. Every decimal point reflects the actual reality of lives lived, translating historical records into a measurable narrative of human progress where the struggle for daily necessities is quantified.

The historical trajectory of Afghanistan reveals a long, slow shift. Throughout the 1800s estimate, poverty remained constant at 80 %. The 1900s estimate maintained this level at 80 %, before a gradual decline began in the 1910s estimate of 78 %. This downward trend persisted through the decades, reaching 47.5 in the 1990s and 25 in the 2010s. In the 2020s, extreme poverty in Afghanistan stands at 10 % — ranking #112 of 157 countries.

If you were born in a previous century, the likelihood of living below the international extreme poverty line was nearly universal. A child born in the 1850s estimate faced an 80 % probability of extreme poverty. This stands in stark contrast to the 2020s where the rate is 10 %. As the 2030s projection of 7.5 and the 2050s projection of 4.22 suggest, the statistical probability of surviving in extreme poverty continues to shift toward a 2100s projection of 1.

Use our interactive tools to compute where you rank among everyone ever born.