Afghanistan vs US size comparison
How Big Is Afghanistan Compared to the US?
The US is about 15 times the size of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is about 1.93 times as densely populated. Drag Afghanistan over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Afghanistan vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Afghanistan laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Afghanistan
- 652,230 km² (251,827 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 15 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Texas (695,668 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Afghanistan 43,844,111; the US 341,784,857
- Afghanistan's rank by area
- 41st-largest of 197
How big Afghanistan is compared with the US
The US is about 15 times the size of Afghanistan: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 652,230 km² (251,827 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Afghanistan about 12 times. Afghanistan is bigger than 48 of the 50 US states and smaller than the other 2; the state closest in size is Texas (695,668 km²). It is the 41st-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the tenth-largest of 47 in Asia; the US is the third-largest.
Afghanistan has about 44 million people (2025), the 36th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 67 people per km² it is about 1.93 times as crowded as the US (35 per km²), the 120th-most densely populated country.
Afghanistan and the US on a world map
Afghanistan reaches from 29°N to 38°N; the US from 19°N to 71°N, with Hawaii in the south and Alaska in the far north. Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges places more the further they are from the Equator. It draws Afghanistan about 1.45 times its real size and the US about 2.3 times (Alaska far more than Florida). So on a normal world map the US looks about 24 times the size of Afghanistan, when it is really about 15 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Afghanistan is
Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, is 11,140 km (6,920 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Afghanistan borders 6 countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It has no coast.
Afghanistan and US in numbers
| Afghanistan | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 652,230 km² 251,827 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 15× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 43,844,111 | 341,784,857 | The US has 7.8× more |
| Rank by area | 41st-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 67 | 35 | Afghanistan is 1.93× denser |
| Capital | Kabul | Washington, D.C. | 11,140 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 6 | 2 |
Afghanistan compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Afghanistan bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 15 times the size of Afghanistan: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 652,230 km² (251,827 sq mi).
How many times would Afghanistan fit into the US?
About 15 times (15.08). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 12 times.
Which US state is Afghanistan closest in size to?
Texas (695,668 km²). Afghanistan is about the same size as Texas.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 7.8 times the 44 million in Afghanistan.
Why does Afghanistan look so small on a world map?
Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches places more the further they are from the Equator. The US is further from the Equator than Afghanistan, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 24 times the size of Afghanistan, not 15.
Where does Afghanistan rank by size?
Afghanistan is the 41st-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the tenth-largest in Asia. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Afghanistan from the US?
Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, is 11,140 km (6,920 miles) from Washington, D.C. in a straight line.
Sources
- Areas: CIA World Factbook (total area, land and water). US states: US Census Bureau.
- Populations: World Bank, World Development Indicators (2025).
- Outlines are drawn on an equal-area projection, so their sizes on the map match their real areas.