Gender Inequality Index in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Gender Inequality Index was 0.661 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gender Inequality Index in Afghanistan, 2008–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, gender inequality index in Afghanistan stood at 0.661.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in Afghanistan peaked at 0.731 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.642, in 2021.
Afghanistan ranks 4th of 169 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Gender Inequality Index in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0.69 | — |
| 2009 | 0.696 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 0.704 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 0.716 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 0.731 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 0.708 | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 0.687 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 0.683 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.682 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.679 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 0.677 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.676 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.674 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.642 | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 0.665 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 0.661 | -0.6% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 0.661 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.581, 1.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 0.661 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.379, 1.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.693 | 0.69 | 0.696 | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.6943 | 0.676 | 0.731 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6605 | 0.642 | 0.674 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More poverty & inequality data for Afghanistan
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.84 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,359 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 2.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 6.76 (2020)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 6.8% (2020)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate -19.16 % change on previous year (2020)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1662 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1662 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender inequality index in Afghanistan?
- Gender inequality index in Afghanistan was 0.661 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.731 in 2012.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.642 in 2021.
- How does Afghanistan rank for gender inequality index?
- Afghanistan ranks 4th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labor market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.