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Myanmar vs Afghanistan

Myanmar and Afghanistan side by side: live population, demographics, economy, environment and digital indicators from the UN and the World Bank, plus charts that overlay the full history of both countries. Change either country to compare any pair.

At a glance

Live population · UN WPP
Flag of Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma)

Asia · #27 of 238 by population
Live population
55,281,672
+0.6% a year · full profile · atlas
vs
Flag of Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Asia · #36 of 238 by population
Live population
45,400,503
+2.7% a year · full profile · atlas
Myanmar has 1.2× the population of Afghanistan (54.9% vs 45.1% of the two combined).

Myanmar vs Afghanistan: 28 indicators side by side

Latest available figures · October 2026
IndicatorMyanmarAfghanistanDifference
👥 Population
Population
people
55,281,67245,400,503Myanmar 1.2×
Population growth rate
% per year
+0.6+2.7-2.1 pts
Population density
people per km²
81.7202669.52026+12.2
Surface area
km²
676,5902023652,8702023Myanmar 1×
Birth rate
births per 1,000 people
16.52024352024-18.5
Death rate
deaths per 1,000 people
9.220245.72024+3.5
Net migration rate
per 1,000 people per year
-0.7-1.2+0.5
Urban population
% of population
30.6202525.92025+4.6 pts
Sex ratio
males per 100 females
99102.1-3.1
❤️ Demographics & Health
Life expectancy
years
67.1202466.32024+0.8
Fertility rate
births per woman
2.120244.762024-2.66
Median age
years
30.417.4+13
Infant mortality
deaths per 1,000 live births
31.640-8.4
Population under 15
% of population
24.1202542.62025-18.5 pts
Population aged 65+
% of population
7.520252.42025+5.1 pts
💰 Economy
GDP
current US$
$81.67B2025$17.78B2024Myanmar 4.6×
GDP per capita
current US$
$1,4892025$4172024Myanmar 3.6×
Unemployment rate
% of labor force
3202513.42025-10.3 pts
Inflation rate
% annual, consumer prices
8.82019-6.62024+15.4 pts
🌱 Environment & Energy
CO₂ emissions
Mt CO₂ per year
31.36202412.072024Myanmar 2.6×
CO₂ emissions per capita
tonnes per person
0.5820240.282024+0.29
Energy use per capita
kg of oil equivalent per person
4112023––
Renewable energy share
% of final energy
62.92021202022+42.9 pts
Forest area
% of land area
42.420231.92023+40.5 pts
Freshwater resources per capita
m³ per person per year
18,65420221,1622022Myanmar 16×
Water stress
% of resources withdrawn
3.32022432022-39.7 pts
📶 Digital
Internet users
% of population
45.4202016.12024+29.4 pts
Mobile subscriptions
per 100 people
114.3202460.12024+54.2

▲ marks the higher value (for death rate, infant mortality, unemployment, inflation, CO₂ and water stress: the lower value). "Difference" is the ratio for absolute measures and Myanmar minus Afghanistan for rates and shares. Years in grey are the latest available for that country.

Myanmar compared with Afghanistan

Updated October 2026

Myanmar has a live population of about 55,281,672 (#27 in the world) and Afghanistan about 45,400,503 (#36), so Myanmar has 1.2 times as many people as Afghanistan. Myanmar is growing at 0.6% a year and Afghanistan at 2.7%.

By area Myanmar is larger: 676,590 km² against 652,870 km², which gives population densities of 81.7 people per km² in Myanmar and 69.5 in Afghanistan.

Myanmar's economy is worth $81.67B (2025) and Afghanistan's $17.78B (2024); per person that is $1,489 in Myanmar versus $417 in Afghanistan, so the average Myanmar resident produces 3.6 times as much.

Life expectancy is 67.1 years in Myanmar and 66.3 in Afghanistan; women have 2.1 children on average in Myanmar compared with 4.8 in Afghanistan; the median age is 30.4 versus 17.4 years.

30.6% of Myanmar's people live in cities against 25.9% in Afghanistan; 45.4% use the internet in Myanmar and 16.1% in Afghanistan; CO₂ emissions per person are 0.6 t in Myanmar and 0.3 t in Afghanistan.

Population over time

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Life expectancy & fertility

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Birth & death rates

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Age structure

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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CO₂ emissions

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Energy use & renewables

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Forest area

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Urban population

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Water resources & stress

Myanmar vs Afghanistan
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Economy

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Unemployment & inflation

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Internet & mobile

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Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, Myanmar or Afghanistan?

By population Myanmar is bigger: 55,281,672 people versus 45,400,503 (live estimates, October 2026). By area Myanmar is larger (676,590 km² vs 652,870 km²).

Which has the larger economy, Myanmar or Afghanistan?

Myanmar: GDP of $81,665,773,810 versus $17,778,508,876 in current US dollars (World Bank, 2025/2024).

Where do people live longer, Myanmar or Afghanistan?

Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years in Myanmar and 66.3 years in Afghanistan, a difference of 0.8 years in favour of Myanmar.

How are these comparisons calculated?

Live populations extrapolate the UN World Population Prospects baseline with each country's growth rate; every other figure is the latest value published by World Bank Open Data (or the UN for median age, infant mortality and migration). Each row shows the year of the figure, and the charts below overlay the full historical series of both countries.

Explore more

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Sources & method: live populations are linear extrapolations of the UN World Population Prospects estimates; all other indicators are the latest values from World Bank Open Data (UN WPP for median age, infant mortality, sex ratio and net migration). Figures are statistical estimates, not census counts. Page generated 2026-10-19. More about our data.