Helmand: household survey: health, schooling, water, electricity, living standards
Helmand is a province of Afghanistan, number 11 of 34 by population. 7.1% of the people living in Afghan households lived in Helmand according to the 2022-23 Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), carried out by UNICEF with the National Statistics and Information Authority, 3rd largest of the 34 provinces. This is a weighted survey share, not a population count.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Helmand: 71.9% of people in Helmand lived in a household with electricity in 2022-23, from the grid or off-grid sources such as solar, 6th lowest of the 34 provinces (Afghanistan: 85.3%).
- Health in Helmand: 52.4% of the most recent births in Helmand in the two years before the 2022-23 survey were attended by a doctor, nurse or midwife, 7th lowest of the 34 provinces, and 51.6% took place in a health facility (Afghanistan: 67.5% and 66.3%).
- Education in Helmand: 20.8% of children of primary school age in Helmand were attending school in 2022-23 (net attendance rate), 5th lowest of the 34 provinces; 79.4% were out of school (Afghanistan: 47.5% attending, 52.8% out of school).
- Poverty and living standards in Helmand: 32.1% of people in Helmand were in the poorest fifth of Afghan households by the survey's wealth index (housing, assets and services) in 2022-23, and 7.4% in the richest fifth; the share in the poorest fifth is 8th highest of the 34 provinces (20% for the country by definition).
How big are households in Helmand?
The average household in Helmand had 10.2 members in 2022-23, 5th largest of the 34 provinces (Afghanistan: 8.3).
Source: UNICEF Afghanistan in collaboration with the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) · saved copyHow many children do women in Helmand have?
Women in Helmand have 7.3 children each on average at current rates (the total fertility rate for the three years before the 2022-23 MICS), 2nd highest of the 34 provinces (Afghanistan: 5.4); there were 115 births a year per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 (Afghanistan: 62).
Source: UNICEF Afghanistan in collaboration with the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) · saved copyHow provinces are governed in Afghanistan
Provinces (34). De facto provincial governor and deputy governor appointed by the Taliban leadership. Run security, line departments and enforcement of de facto decrees; the 2004 Constitution's elected provincial councils no longer operate.
Every tier of government in Afghanistan
Other provinces of Afghanistan
- Kabul 5,590,000
- Herat 2,417,000
- Nangarhar 1,940,000
- Balkh 1,695,000
- Ghazni 1,571,000
- Kandahar 1,568,000
- Kunduz 1,291,000
- Faryab 1,277,000
- Takhar 1,257,000
- Badakhshan 1,216,000
- Baghlan 1,164,000
- Ghor 883,000
- Parwan 850,000
- Maidan Wardak 763,000
- Khost 735,000
- Sar-e-Pul 716,000
- Paktya 706,000
- Jawzjan 691,000
- Farah 649,000
- Badghis 634,000
- Kunar 576,000
- Bamyan 572,000
- Laghman 570,000
- Kapisa 564,000
- Paktika 556,000
- Uruzgan 528,000
- Daykundi 514,000
- Logar 501,000
- Samangan 496,000
- Zabul 389,000
- Nimroz 211,000
- Panjshir 196,000
- Nuristan 189,000
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Sources
- UNICEF Afghanistan in collaboration with the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA): Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022-23, Survey Findings Report (province tables), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1469591017d8…)
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