Canada vs Afghanistan: Population Comparison 2026
Canada
AfghanistanAfghanistan has 4,579,342 more people than Canada (1.1× as many): 45.0 million vs 40.5 million in 2026. Median age is 40.8 in Canada and 17.4 in Afghanistan; fertility is 1.33 vs 4.56 children per woman.
Canada
20260
people
- Median age
- 40.8
- Fertility (TFR)
- 1.33
- Working age (15–64)
- 64.4%
- Trend
- Growing (+0.85%)
Afghanistan
20260
people
- Median age
- 17.4
- Fertility (TFR)
- 4.56
- Working age (15–64)
- 55.3%
- Trend
- Growing (+2.74%)
Population pyramids, 2026
Total Population
Canada
40.5M
vs
Afghanistan
45.0M
Youth (0-14)
Canada
14.9%
vs
Afghanistan
42.2%
Elderly (65+)
Canada
20.7%
vs
Afghanistan
2.5%
Where the two pyramids differ
The pyramids are overlaid so you can read the difference by age and sex: the longer bar in each band marks the country with more people of that age.
📊 Understanding the Population Difference Chart
This visualization shows where and by how much the populations differ between Canada and Afghanistan for each age group, split by gender:
Left Side (Males)
Blue = Canada has more males
Green = Afghanistan has more males
Right Side (Females)
Pink = Canada has more females
Orange = Afghanistan has more females
💡 How to Read: Each age group shows up to 2 bars - one on the left (male difference) and one on the right (female difference). The bar's color tells you which country has more people, and the bar's length shows by how much. For example, if you see a green bar on the left, it means Afghanistan has more males in that age group.
Notable Differences (>20% variance):
Ages 0-4: Afghanistan has 73.0% more people
Men: 2.6M more in Afghanistan • Women: 2.5M more in Afghanistan
Canada: 970K men, 923K women • Afghanistan: 3.6M men, 3.4M women
Population Ratio
1.9M
7.0M
Ages 5-9: Afghanistan has 68.3% more people
Men: 2.2M more in Afghanistan • Women: 2.1M more in Afghanistan
Canada: 1.0M men, 979K women • Afghanistan: 3.2M men, 3.1M women
Population Ratio
2.0M
6.3M
Ages 10-14: Afghanistan has 62.8% more people
Men: 1.8M more in Afghanistan • Women: 1.7M more in Afghanistan
Canada: 1.1M men, 1.0M women • Afghanistan: 2.9M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
2.1M
5.7M
Ages 15-19: Afghanistan has 55.5% more people
Men: 1.4M more in Afghanistan • Women: 1.3M more in Afghanistan
Canada: 1.1M men, 1.1M women • Afghanistan: 2.6M men, 2.4M women
Population Ratio
2.2M
5.0M
Ages 20-24: Afghanistan has 45.4% more people
Men: 1.0M more in Afghanistan • Women: 971K more in Afghanistan
Canada: 1.2M men, 1.2M women • Afghanistan: 2.3M men, 2.2M women
Population Ratio
2.4M
4.4M
Ages 25-29: Afghanistan has 27.2% more people
Men: 506K more in Afghanistan • Women: 540K more in Afghanistan
Canada: 1.4M men, 1.4M women • Afghanistan: 2.0M men, 1.9M women
Population Ratio
2.8M
3.8M
Ages 35-39: Canada has 20.1% more people
Men: 253K more in Canada • Women: 226K more in Canada
Canada: 1.5M men, 1.4M women • Afghanistan: 1.2M men, 1.2M women
Population Ratio
2.9M
2.4M
Ages 40-44: Canada has 51.0% more people
Men: 468K more in Canada • Women: 466K more in Canada
Canada: 1.4M men, 1.4M women • Afghanistan: 921K men, 913K women
Population Ratio
2.8M
1.8M
Ages 45-49: Canada has 71.0% more people
Men: 522K more in Canada • Women: 547K more in Canada
Canada: 1.3M men, 1.3M women • Afghanistan: 754K men, 752K women
Population Ratio
2.6M
1.5M
Ages 50-54: Canada has 99.7% more people
Men: 599K more in Canada • Women: 611K more in Canada
Canada: 1.2M men, 1.2M women • Afghanistan: 599K men, 614K women
Population Ratio
2.4M
1.2M
Ages 55-59: Canada has 163.0% more people
Men: 765K more in Canada • Women: 749K more in Canada
Canada: 1.2M men, 1.2M women • Afghanistan: 444K men, 485K women
Population Ratio
2.4M
929K
Ages 60-64: Canada has 293.5% more people
Men: 1.0M more in Canada • Women: 981K more in Canada
Canada: 1.3M men, 1.3M women • Afghanistan: 308K men, 369K women
Population Ratio
2.7M
677K
Ages 65-69: Canada has 427.0% more people
Men: 1.0M more in Canada • Women: 1.0M more in Canada
Canada: 1.2M men, 1.3M women • Afghanistan: 209K men, 268K women
Population Ratio
2.5M
477K
Ages 70-74: Canada has 574.2% more people
Men: 877K more in Canada • Women: 926K more in Canada
Canada: 1.0M men, 1.1M women • Afghanistan: 134K men, 180K women
Population Ratio
2.1M
314K
Ages 75-79: Canada has 788.8% more people
Men: 701K more in Canada • Women: 776K more in Canada
Canada: 776K men, 888K women • Afghanistan: 76K men, 112K women
Population Ratio
1.7M
187K
Ages 80-84: Canada has 1097.0% more people
Men: 451K more in Canada • Women: 541K more in Canada
Canada: 487K men, 595K women • Afghanistan: 36K men, 54K women
Population Ratio
1.1M
90K
Ages 85-89: Canada has 1982.2% more people
Men: 241K more in Canada • Women: 339K more in Canada
Canada: 253K men, 358K women • Afghanistan: 11K men, 18K women
Population Ratio
610K
29K
Ages 90-94: Canada has 4866.4% more people
Men: 103K more in Canada • Women: 184K more in Canada
Canada: 105K men, 188K women • Afghanistan: 2K men, 4K women
Population Ratio
293K
6K
Ages 95-99: Canada has 14941.8% more people
Men: 26K more in Canada • Women: 66K more in Canada
Canada: 26K men, 67K women • Afghanistan: 186 men, 433 women
Population Ratio
93K
619
Ages 100+: Canada has 51510.0% more people
Men: 3K more in Canada • Women: 12K more in Canada
Canada: 3K men, 12K women • Afghanistan: 7 men, 23 women
Population Ratio
15K
30
Demographic comparison, 2026
| Indicator | Canada | Afghanistan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2026) | 40,467,727 | 45,047,069 | Afghanistan has 4.6 million more (1.1×) |
| Change 2025–2026 | +0.8% (Growing) | +2.7% (Growing) | |
| Median age (2026) | 40.8 | 17.4 | Canada older by 23.4 yrs |
| Total fertility rate | 1.33 — 0.77 below replacement | 4.56 — 2.46 above replacement | |
| Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection) | 1.32 | 4.22 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000) | 8.9 | 33.8 | |
| Population 2050 (UN projection) | 45.6 million (+12.7%) | 76.9 million (+70.7%) | |
| Peak population | Peaks 2100 | Peaks 2100 |
Differences by age group, 2026
| Age | Canada (M / F) | Afghanistan (M / F) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 970K / 923K | 3581K / 3431K | Afghanistan has 270.3% more people aged 0-4 |
| 5-9 | 1028K / 979K | 3231K / 3093K | Afghanistan has 215.1% more people aged 5-9 |
| 10-14 | 1079K / 1031K | 2906K / 2776K | Afghanistan has 169.2% more people aged 10-14 |
| 15-19 | 1128K / 1090K | 2554K / 2431K | Afghanistan has 124.8% more people aged 15-19 |
| 20-24 | 1226K / 1195K | 2267K / 2166K | Afghanistan has 83.1% more people aged 20-24 |
| 25-29 | 1445K / 1353K | 1951K / 1892K | Afghanistan has 37.4% more people aged 25-29 |
| 30-34 | 1491K / 1401K | 1573K / 1548K | Afghanistan has 7.9% more people aged 30-34 |
| 35-39 | 1453K / 1411K | 1200K / 1185K | Canada has 20.1% more people aged 35-39 |
| 40-44 | 1389K / 1379K | 921K / 913K | Canada has 51.0% more people aged 40-44 |
| 45-49 | 1276K / 1299K | 754K / 752K | Canada has 71.0% more people aged 45-49 |
| 50-54 | 1198K / 1226K | 599K / 614K | Canada has 99.7% more people aged 50-54 |
| 55-59 | 1209K / 1234K | 444K / 485K | Canada has 163.0% more people aged 55-59 |
| 60-64 | 1315K / 1350K | 308K / 369K | Canada has 293.5% more people aged 60-64 |
| 65-69 | 1224K / 1291K | 209K / 268K | Canada has 427.0% more people aged 65-69 |
| 70-74 | 1011K / 1107K | 134K / 180K | Canada has 574.2% more people aged 70-74 |
| 75-79 | 776K / 888K | 76K / 112K | Canada has 788.8% more people aged 75-79 |
| 80-84 | 487K / 595K | 36K / 54K | Canada has 1097.0% more people aged 80-84 |
| 85-89 | 253K / 358K | 11K / 18K | Canada has 1982.2% more people aged 85-89 |
| 90-94 | 105K / 188K | 2K / 4K | Canada has 4866.4% more people aged 90-94 |
| 95-99 | 26K / 67K | 0K / 0K | Canada has 14941.8% more people aged 95-99 |
| 100+ | 3K / 12K | 0K / 0K | Canada has 51510.0% more people aged 100+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more people, Canada or Afghanistan?
Afghanistan has more: 45.0 million vs 40.5 million in 2026 — 1.1× as many, 4.6 million more people.
Which country is older?
Canada, with a median age of 40.8 vs 17.4 in Afghanistan (2026).
Which has higher fertility?
Afghanistan, at 4.56 children per woman vs 1.33 in Canada. Replacement is 2.1, so both are compared against it.
How will Canada and Afghanistan compare in 2050?
By 2050 the UN projects Canada at 45.6 million (+12.7% from 2026) and Afghanistan at 76.9 million (+70.7%).
Are Canada and Afghanistan growing or shrinking?
Canada is growing (+0.8% in 2026); Afghanistan is growing (+2.7%).
