50 of its 71 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).
25 Sep to 24 Oct: 49 in every 100 of its stories were about people being harmed — about three times the world's share (19).
What stood out
The news pointed at Afghanistan on 10 of the 30 days held.
Most on Thursday 1 October 2026: 71 of its 107 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%.
Compared with
the world's news over the same days; "usual" is its own 30 days before.
How it moved
Afghanistan: stories about people being harmed, out of every 100 of its stories
Dashed line: the world. Shaded: its normal range over these days. Blue dots: its biggest days.
AfghanistanThe world
Key events
the events its news covered most, newest on the rightSeptember 2026
25 Sep
Kabulattacks & violence
13 stories, 32 outlets
27 Sep
Kabulattacks & violence
11 stories, 13 outlets
27 Sep
Nuristanattacks & violence
25 stories, 54 outlets
October 2026
1 Oct
Helmandattacks & violence
9 stories, 11 outlets
1 Oct
Garmserattacks & violence
10 stories, 11 outlets
1 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
27 stories, 57 outlets
5 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
18 stories, 24 outlets
6 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
11 stories, 14 outlets
8 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
17 stories, 32 outlets
13 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
8 stories, 10 outlets
18 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
9 stories, 9 outlets
19 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
16 stories, 43 outlets
20 Oct
Kabulaccidents & disasters
14 stories, 13 outlets
24 Oct
Kabulattacks & violence
9 stories, 9 outlets
Scroll sideways for earlier events. Key events are the most covered, not necessarily the most harmful: attacks, accidents and disasters, displacement, protests and outbreaks, ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported them and how clearly they were about one thing, so every year competes fairly.
Its biggest days
when the news pointed at Afghanistan most31 of its 61 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).
64 of its 96 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories).
71 of its 107 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Kabul accounted for 27 of Afghanistan's 71 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets.
32 of its 65 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. 3 of Kabul's 5 stories were about protests or strikes.
46 of its 72 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Nuristan accounted for 25 of Afghanistan's 46 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets.
4 more days the news pointed at Afghanistan
23 of its 62 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Hunger was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
25 of its 51 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).
39 of its 72 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).
28 of its 62 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
In detail
against the world's news, same daysPeople and attention
a tenththe world's rateten times
About 42 million people live in Afghanistan. Over these days its news carried 20 stories about people being harmed for every million people — about half the world's rate (36 per million).
How much of the world's attention reached it for its size: coverage per person, not harm per person. Population is approximate (about 2023).
Parts of life
Share of its stories about people being harmed, by part of life.
Conflict & violence46%380 stories
Rights & justice23%194 stories
Disasters & accidents7%62 stories
Health7%61 stories
Deaths & injuries, cause not given6%46 stories
Displacement5%43 stories
Food & livelihood4%32 stories
Shelter & services1%12 stories
Where it happened
Afghanistan (bright) and its neighbours. Dots: its key events in these days, coloured by kind. Click a dot for its stories.
Harm reported
Stories, not people: a story counts once however many people it reports.
Stories reporting people killed334 Stories reporting people injured184 Stories reporting arrests140 Stories reporting people affected86 Stories reporting refugees43 Stories reporting evacuations6 Stories reporting abductions5 Stories reporting people displaced4Harsh or warm words
harshwarm
Its stories' words were much harsher than the world's.
Filled dot: Afghanistan. Ring: the world. Measured over 801 stories.
Feelings
Angerabout one and a half times as angry as the world's
Against its own usual: about as usual
Griefabout one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's
Against its own usual: about as usual
Fearabout one and a half times as fearful as the world's
Against its own usual: about as usual
Warmthabout as warm as the world's
Against its own usual: about as usual
a quarterlike the worldfour times
Dot: Afghanistan in these days. Line: the world. Dashed ring: Afghanistan's own usual (the 30 days before).
Its neighbours, same days
Afghanistan49 in 100
of its 1,712 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Pakistan37 in 100
of its 11,989 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Iran32 in 100
of its 13,207 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Kashmir24 in 100
of its 3,025 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Tajikistan18 in 100
of its 250 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
China12 in 100
of its 29,510 stories were about people being harmed · mostly health
Uzbekistan11 in 100
of its 730 stories were about people being harmed · mostly rights & justice
Turkmenistan6 in 100
of its 509 stories were about people being harmed · mostly health
Countries that share a border on the map (the nearest ones for an island). A country with few stories ranks lower.
Diseases and disasters named far more than usual
hunger21 Oct11 of its stories that day, more than ten times its usualCounted where the stories mention most, so a storm abroad can land under a country only mentioned. Opens that day.