Afghanistan
Population 1
Language 2
There are between 40 and 59 languages spoken in Afghanistan. The most widely spoken are:
| Afghan Persian or Dari (official) | 77% |
|---|
| Pashto (official) | 48% |
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| Uzbeki | 11% |
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| English | 6% |
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| Turkmani | 3% |
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| Urdu | 3% |
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| Pashai | 1% |
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| Nuristani | 1% |
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| Arabic | 1% |
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| Balochi | 1% |
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| (2018 est.) |
|---|
Many Afghans speak more than one language. Therefore, the sum of language data responses exceeds 100%.
Other minority languages include Aimaq, Ashkun, Gujari, Hazaragi, Kazaki, Moghili, and Pamiri (alsana).
Religion 3
| Sunni Islam | 89% |
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| Shi'a Islam | 11% |
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| Other | <1% |
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| (2022 est.) |
|---|
Ethnicity 4
| Pashtun | 42% |
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| Tajik | 27% |
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| Hazara | 9% |
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| Uzbek | 9% |
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| Turkmeni | 3% |
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| Baloch | 2% |
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| Other | 8% |
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| (2018 est.) |
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Other minority ethnic groups include Aimaq, Sadat, Pashai, Nuristani, Arab, Pamiri, Qezelbash, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash and Wakhi.5
Afghans in Australia
These demographic statistics pertain to individuals in Australia who were born in Afghanistan, as reported in the 2021 Australian Housing and Population Census. The data specifically represents responses from first-generation migrants and does not encompass the total number of people in Australia who may identify as Afghan.
Population 6
59,797
Citizenship
| Australian Citizen | 55.0% |
|---|
| Not an Australian Citizen | 44.4% |
|---|
34
Gender
Religion
| Islam | 94.3% |
|---|
| No Religion | 3.3% |
|---|
| Not Stated | 0.7% |
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| Other | 0.6% |
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Ancestry
| Afghan | 51.3% |
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| Hazara | 44.3% |
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| Australian | 3.6% |
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| English | 2.5% |
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| Pathan (Pashtun) | 1.5% |
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These are the top ancestry responses of people born in Afghanistan. Respondents were able to provide up to two answers. Therefore, the sum of all ancestry responses exceeds the total number of people.
Language Spoken at Home
| Hazaraghi | 44.9% |
|---|
| Dari | 31.3% |
|---|
| Persian (excluding Dari) | 8.9% |
|---|
| Pashto | 6.8% |
|---|
| Other Languages | 4.1% |
|---|
Of those who speak a language other than English at home, 68.6% speak English fluently.
Diaspora
| Victoria | 42.5% |
|---|
| New South Wales | 24.5% |
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| South Australia | 13.7% |
|---|
| Western Australia | 9.6% |
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| Other | 9.7% |
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Arrival to Australia
| Prior to 1991 | 5.2% |
|---|
| 1991 - 2000 | 11.5% |
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| 2001 - 2010 | 29.7% |
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| 2011 - 2015 | 30.8% |
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| 2016 - 2021 | 22.9% |
|---|
Australians with Afghan Ancestry
| Afghan | 59,797 |
|---|
| Hazara | 41,766 |
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| Pashtun | 4,319 |
|---|
| Tajik | 1,178 |
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This figure represents the total number of people in Australia who reported Afghan, Hazara, Pashtun or Tajik ancestry in the 2021 Census, including individuals born in Australia and other countries. It captures the responses of first-, second-, and third-generation migrants who may identify as Afghan, regardless of their place of birth.7
