Afghanistan People - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population: 15,425,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 2.4%; these estimates include an adjustment for emigration to Pakistan during recent years but do not take into account other demographic consequences of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan

Nationality: noun—Afghan(s); adjective— Afghan

Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik, 9% Uzbek, 9% Hazara; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baluchi, and others

Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 25% Shfa Muslim, 1% other

Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Persian (Dari), 11% Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 10% thirty minor languages (primarily Baluchi and Pashai); much bilingualism

Life expectancy: men 39.9, women 40.7

Literacy: 12%

Labor force: 4.98 million (1980 est.); 67.8% agriculture and animal husbandry, 10.2%

industry, 6.3% construction, 5.0% commerce, 7.7% services and other; current figures unavailable because of fighting (1986)

Organized labor: government-controlled unions are being established

NOTE: The information regarding Afghanistan on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Afghanistan 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Afghanistan 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.