Updated
Overview
Afghanistan has 5.8 times the population of Turkmenistan: 43.84 million people against 7.62 million (2025).
Turkmenistan's economy is 2.8 times the size of Afghanistan's, at $49.83B versus $17.78B.
Per person, Turkmenistan is the wealthier of the two: $6,540 against $417 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Afghanistan | Turkmenistan | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $17.78B | Higher: $49.83B | 2024 / 2025 | $17.15B / $64.24B |
| GDP per capita | $417 | Higher: $6,540 | 2024 / 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.9% | Higher: 6.3% | 2024 / 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: -6.6% | 2.7% | 2024 / 2025 | — / 11.5% |
| Unemployment | 13.4% | Lower: 4.3% | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $172 | — | 2020 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $72 | — | 2020 | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 43.84 million | 7.62 million | 2025 | 49.47 million / 5.74 million |
| Population growth | 2.8% | 1.6% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 17.3 yrs | 26.9 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 4.66 | 2.63 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 66.3 yrs | Higher: 70.2 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 26% | 47% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 16% | Higher: 18% | 2024 / 2016 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 652,230 km² | 488,100 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 67.2/km² | 15.6/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 11 Mt | 81 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 0.3 t | 10.8 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $278.25M | $111.92M | 2021 / 1999 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.8% | 2.9% | 2021 / 1999 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 165,000 | 57,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Turkmenistan is growing much faster: 6.3% annual GDP growth versus 1.9%.
Turkmenistan runs the hotter price environment: 2.7% inflation versus -6.6%.
People and society
Afghanistan is the far younger society: median age 17.3 versus 26.9 years.
Life expectancy is 3.9 years longer in Turkmenistan (70.2 vs 66.3).
Turkmenistan is considerably more urbanized: 47% of people live in cities, against 26%.
Geography
By land area, Afghanistan is 34% larger than Turkmenistan: 652,230 km² versus 488,100 km².
The two share a land border, which shapes their trade, migration, and security relationship.
Afghanistan is far more densely settled: 67 people per km² against 16.
Military
Afghanistan spends 2.5 times as much on defence as Turkmenistan: $278.25M versus $111.92M (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Turkmenistan carries the heavier military burden: 2.9% of GDP versus 1.8%.
Afghanistan fields the larger armed forces: 165,000 personnel against 57,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Afghanistan bigger than Turkmenistan?
- Afghanistan is larger by land area. Afghanistan covers 652,230 km² while Turkmenistan covers 488,100 km², so Afghanistan is 34% larger than the other.
- Which has more people, Afghanistan or Turkmenistan?
- Afghanistan has the larger population: 43.84 million versus 7.62 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Afghanistan richer than Turkmenistan?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Turkmenistan is richer: $6,540 against $417. Total GDP tells the same story: $17.78B for Afghanistan versus $49.83B for Turkmenistan.
- Who spends more on their military, Afghanistan or Turkmenistan?
- Afghanistan spends more: $278.25M versus $111.92M per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).
Related comparisons
Full profiles
Every comparison for Afghanistan · Turkmenistan