Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
Afghanistan
652,230 km²
3.8% of largest
Russia is 26.22× larger than Afghanistan
Population
Russia
LARGEST
145.9M
PEOPLE
Afghanistan
26.7% OF LARGEST
38.93M
PEOPLE
Russia has 3.75× the population of Afghanistan
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.24T
Afghanistan
0.9% OF LARGEST
$19.81B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Russia
LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
Afghanistan
20.0% OF LARGEST
180K
TROOPS
Russia has 5.00× the active personnel of Afghanistan
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
Afghanistan
4.0% OF LARGEST
167
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 24.99× the aircraft of Afghanistan
Naval Assets
Russia
Afghanistan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
Afghanistan
0.9% OF LARGEST
21.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
Afghanistan
2.0% OF LARGEST
$8B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
Afghanistan
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Afghanistan
$2.9B
Exports
$2.9B
Imports
$8.7B
Trade Balance
$-5.8B
Trade Deficit
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Afghanistan
supply
Tea
kg / person / yr
Afghanistan
supply
Russia
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Afghanistan
supply
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Afghanistan
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Afghanistan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
Afghanistan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
Afghanistan
0
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
2
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 2
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Afghanistan
Russia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Russia
39.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Afghanistan
18.4
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Russia is 20.8 years older (median) than Afghanistan
Youth Population
Afghanistan has the highest youth population at 70% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Afghanistan
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
119
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
24.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time | — |
32
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide | — |
0
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Afghanistan
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $2 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $10 | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $200 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $100 | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $40 | $85 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $12 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $10 | $25 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Afghanistan | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38928346 | 145900000 |
| Area (sq km) | 652230 | 17098246 |
| Capital | Kabul | Moscow |
| Official Language | Pashto, Dari | Russian |
| Currency | Afghan Afghani (AFN) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Government Type | Unitary presidential Islamic republic | Federal semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Afghanistan | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 180,000 | 900,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 0 | 2,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 180,000 | 3,350,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $2,800,000,000 | $154,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 150 | 12,420 |
| Armored Vehicles | 2,000 | 30,122 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 85 | 6,574 |
| Towed Artillery | 150 | 7,571 |
| Rocket Projectors | 50 | 3,391 |
Economy
| Metric | Afghanistan | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $19,807,000,000 | $2,240,400,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $509 | $15,357 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 23.9% | 4.9% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 29.4 | 37.5 |
| Currency | Afghan Afghani (AFN) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Afghanistan Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.8568 Weaker |
| Russia Currency | 1.1672 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | AFN | RUB |
| 1 USD equals | 64.4019 AFN Updated: 2026-06-27 | 75.1676 RUB Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 26.2 times larger in area than Afghanistan.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 3.7 times more people than Afghanistan.
Russia has the highest GDP per capita at $15,357 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.24 trillion.
Russia has the largest active military personnel with 900,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
Russia has the largest navy with 605 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
Afghanistan vs Russia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.2T is 113.1x larger than Afghanistan's $20B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 146M is 3.7x larger than Afghanistan's 39M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 26.2x larger than Afghanistan.
Military: Russia fields 900Thousand active troops vs Afghanistan's 180Thousand.
Trade: Afghanistan has a trade deficit of $6B while Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B.
Life Expectancy: Russia leads with a life expectancy of 73 years vs Afghanistan's 65.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology