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).
26 Sep to 25 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 9 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 carrying help or hope, out of every 100 of its stories about people being harmed
Peace efforts, people freed or reunited, aid and relief, volunteers, vaccination. A topic, not an outcome -- talks that fail still count. Dashed line: the world.
AfghanistanThe world
Key events
the events its news covered most, newest on the rightSeptember 2026
26 Sep
Kabulattacks & violence
6 stories, 7 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.
3 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).
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 & violence45%366 stories
Rights & justice24%195 stories
Disasters & accidents8%65 stories
Health8%62 stories
Deaths & injuries, cause not given6%47 stories
Displacement5%42 stories
Food & livelihood4%32 stories
Shelter & services1%11 stories
Harm reported
Stories, not people: a story counts once however many people it reports.
Stories reporting people killed324 Stories reporting people injured183 Stories reporting arrests141 Stories reporting people affected85 Stories reporting refugees41 Stories reporting evacuations5 Stories reporting abductions5 Stories reporting people displaced3Harsh or warm words
harshwarm
Its stories' words were much harsher than the world's.
Filled dot: Afghanistan. Ring: the world. Measured over 790 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 1,692 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Pakistan37 in 100
of its 11,854 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Iran32 in 100
of its 12,924 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Kashmir24 in 100
of its 3,003 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
Tajikistan18 in 100
of its 245 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
China12 in 100
of its 28,589 stories were about people being harmed · mostly health
Uzbekistan11 in 100
of its 706 stories were about people being harmed · mostly rights & justice
Turkmenistan6 in 100
of its 496 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.
Where it happened
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikes
Afghanistan (bright) and its neighbours. Dots: its key events in these days; fainter, smaller dots: its neighbours' biggest. Click a dot for its stories.
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.