Afghanistan
Introduction
Background
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN.
A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and was reelected in August 2009. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and international forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal from Afghanistan of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021.
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Geography
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area - comparative
almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total: 5,987 km
border countries (6): China 91 km; Iran 921 km; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan 804 km; Uzbekistan 144 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Elevation
highest point: Noshak 7,492 m
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
mean elevation: 1,884 m
Natural resources
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 58.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.8% (2018)
permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)
permanent pasture: 46% (2018)
forest: 1.8% (2018 est.)
other: 40.1% (2018)
Irrigated land
24,930 sq km (2020)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Amu Darya (534,739 sq km); Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km)
Population distribution
populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated
Natural hazards
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Geography - note
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups
Current, reliable statistical data on ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available; Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution cited Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pachaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, and Brahwui ethnicities; Afghanistan has dozens of other small ethnic groups
Languages
Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pachaie 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2020 est.)
major-language sample(s):
کتاب حقایق جهان، مرجعی ضروری برای اطلاعات اولیە (Dari)
د دنیا د حقائېقو کتاب، بنیادی معلوماتو لپاره ضروری سرچینه- (Pashto)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
note 1: percentages sum to more than 100% because many people are multilingual
note 2: Uzbeki, Turkmani, Pachaie, Nuristani, Balochi, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them
Religions
Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 39.8% (male 7,926,748/female 7,686,979)
15-64 years: 57.35% (male 11,413,654/female 11,084,665)
65 years and over: 2.85% (2023 est.) (male 515,147/female 604,810)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 84.6
youth dependency ratio: 80.2
elderly dependency ratio: 4.8
potential support ratio: 22.5 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 19.5 years
male: 19.4 years
female: 19.5 years (2020 est.)
Population distribution
populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated
Urbanization
urban population: 26.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
4.589 million KABUL (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.9 years (2015 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio
620 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8Infant mortality rate
total: 103.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 111.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 94.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 54.05 years
male: 52.47 years
female: 55.71 years (2023 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
2.21 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
18.9% (2018)
note: percent of women aged 12-49
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 68.3% of population
total: 76.5% of population 70.2%
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 31.7% of population
total: 23.5% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
15.5% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
0.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 88.2% of population
rural: 52% of population
total: 61.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 11.8% of population
rural: 48% of population
total: 38.6% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria
note: Afghanistan is one of two countries with endemic wild polio virus (the other is Pakistan) and considered high risk for international spread of the disease; before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 23.3% (2020 est.)
male: 39.4% (2020 est.)
female: 7.2% (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
70.3% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 4.2%
women married by age 18: 28.3% (2017 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.3%
male: 52.1%
female: 22.6% (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 10 years
male: 13 years
female: 8 years (2018)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 20.2%
male: 18.6%
female: 26.4% (2021 est.)
Environment
Environment - current issues
limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution in overcrowded urban areas
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 53.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 8.67 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 90.98 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Land use
agricultural land: 58.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.8% (2018)
permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)
permanent pasture: 46% (2018)
forest: 1.8% (2018 est.)
other: 40.1% (2018)
Urbanization
urban population: 26.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Food insecurity
severe localized food insecurity: due to civil conflict, population displacement, and economic slowdown - between November 2021 and March 2022, during the winter lean season, the food insecurity situation was expected to deteriorate and the number of people in "Crisis" or above was likely to increase to 22.8 million, about 35% more than during the same season in 2020/21; following the developments of August 2021 in the country, the international aid flows, an important element of public spending, were halted; the food security situation and agricultural livelihoods in the country is likely to significantly deteriorate in the coming months due to cumulative and cascading impact of multiple shocks, including weather, conflict, economic crisis and the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic (2022)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,628,525 tons (2016 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Amu Darya (534,739 sq km); Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 170 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 20 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
65.33 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: formerly Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: formerly Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan
local short form: Afghanistan
former: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
etymology: the name "Afghan" originally referred to the Pashtun people (today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups), while the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country"; so Afghanistan literally means the "Land of the Afghans"
Government type
theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government
Capital
name: Kabul
geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 11 E
time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time
etymology: named for the Kabul River, but the river's name is of unknown origin
Administrative divisions
34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul
Independence
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday
previous: Independence Day, 19 August (1919); under the Taliban Government, 15 August (2022) is declared a national holiday, marking the anniversary of the victory of the Afghan jihad
Constitution
history: several previous; latest ratified in 2004, suspended by the Taliban after taking over the country in 2021
Legal system
the Taliban is implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, which partially based on the Hanifi school of Islamic jurisprudence; before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had a mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law
(2021)International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must have been born in - and continuously lived in - Afghanistan
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: Overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada serves as the head of the Taliban government as Amir-ul Momineen
note - on 7 September 2021, the Taliban announced Mohammad HASSAN Akhund as the “acting prime minister” of the "caretaker government”; as of November 2021, the group had announced three acting “deputy prime ministers” - Abdul Ghani BERADER, Abdul Salam HANAFI, and Abdul KABIR
head of government: Overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada serves as the head of the Taliban government as Amir-ul Momineen
cabinet: includes the acting prime minister, acting deputy prime ministers, and 26 ministries
elections/appointments: the 2004 Afghan constitution directed that the president should be elected by majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 September 2019
Legislative branch
description: the Taliban Government has not announced the formation of a legislative branch; before the 2021 Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had a bicameral National Assembly that consisted of the House of Elders and House of the People
Judicial branch
highest court(s): the Taliban Government has a Supreme Court: number of judges and organizational structure NA; note - before 15 August 2021, Afghanistan had a Supreme Court (consisting of a supreme court chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions)
judge selection and term of office: the Taliban Supreme Court judge selection and term of office NA; note - before 15 August 2021, the Supreme Court chief and justices were appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices served single 10-year terms
subordinate courts: the Taliban Government has many provincial-level courts, religious courts, and specialty courts
note - before 15 August 2021, consisted of Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; and Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles
Political parties and leaders
the Taliban Government enforces an authoritarian state and has banned other political parties; note - before 15 August 2021, the Ministry of Justice had licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019
International organization participation
member of the following organizations but cannot participate because the international community does not recognize the Taliban Government: ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNAMA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: the Afghan Embassy closed in March 2022
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: the United States does not maintain a presence in Afghanistan and bases the Department of State's Afghanistan Affairs Unit in Doha, Qatar; note - the US Embassy in Kabul closed in August 2021
embassy: Embassy Kabul, operations have been suspended; Department of State’s Afghanistan Affairs Unit operates from Doha, Qatar.
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other 2 bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam
note 1: the United States has not recognized the Taliban or any other entity as the government of Afghanistan and, accordingly, continues to display the flag of Afghanistan as set forth in the country's constitution of 2004
note 2: Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century - 19 by one count - than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them
National symbol(s)
lion; national colors: red, green, black
National anthem
name: "Milli Surood" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA
note: adopted 2006
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Minaret of Jam; Buddhas of Bamyan
note: the monumental 6th- and 7th-century statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001
Economy
Economic overview
extremely low-income South Asian economy; import drops, currency depreciation, disappearing central bank reserves, and increasing inflation after Taliban takeover; increasing Chinese trade; hit hard by COVID; ongoing sanctions
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$60.803 billion (2021 est.)
$76.711 billion (2020 est.)
$78.558 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
-20.74% (2021 est.)
-2.35% (2020 est.)
3.91% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$1,500 (2021 est.)
$2,000 (2020 est.)
$2,100 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.24 billion (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (2019 est.)
0.63% (2018 est.)
4.98% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 23% (2016 est.)
industry: 21.1% (2016 est.)
services: 55.9% (2016 est.)
note: data exclude opium production
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 81.6% (2016 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 30% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 6.7% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -47.6% (2016 est.)
Agricultural products
wheat, milk, grapes, vegetables, potatoes, watermelons, melons, rice, onions, apples
Industries
small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 44.3%
industry: 18.1%
services: 37.6% (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
13.28% (2021 est.)
11.71% (2020 est.)
11.22% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 20.2%
male: 18.6%
female: 26.4% (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
54.5% (2016 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
29.4 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 153Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.8%
highest 10%: 24% (2008)
Budget
revenues: $5.093 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $5.293 billion (2019 est.)
Fiscal year
21 March - 20 March
Current account balance
-$3.137 billion (2020 est.)
-$3.792 billion (2019 est.)
-$3.897 billion (2018 est.)
Exports
$1.476 billion (2020 est.)
$1.516 billion (2019 est.)
$1.609 billion (2018 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Exports - partners
United Arab Emirates 45%, Pakistan 24%, India 22%, China 1% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, figs, grapes, cotton, fruits and nuts, coal (2021)
note: Afghan opium production remains a significant illicit trade export
Imports
$6.983 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$7.371 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$7.988 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners
United Arab Emirates 23%, Pakistan 17%, India 13%, Uzbekistan 7%, China 9% (2021)
Imports - commodities
wheat flours, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, rolled tobacco, aircraft parts, synthetic fabrics (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$9.749 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$8.498 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$8.207 billion (31 December 2018 est.)
Exchange rates
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -
76.814 (2020 est.)
77.738 (2019 est.)
72.083 (2018 est.)
68.027 (2017 est.)
67.866 (2016 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 99% (2018)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)
electrification - rural areas: 98% (2018)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 776,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 5.913 billion kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 4.912 billion kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 61.6 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 15.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 79.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 2.096 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 2.096 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 66 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 24,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 80.193 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 80.193 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 49.554 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
7.893 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 4.158 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 3.468 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 267,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
3.227 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 150,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 23 million (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 57 (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021 following the American-led withdrawal of security forces has thrown the telecom sector into disarray; Afghanistan was near the bottom of the world’s rankings in terms of its telecom market maturity, but it had been making some positive progress toward establishing widespread coverage over the prior decade under civilian administration; after the first Taliban regime was toppled in 2001, considerable foreign investment along with open competition in the telecom sector resulted in the transformation of the mobile market; the first mobile network was set up in 2002, and by 2020 coverage had reached 90%; mobile penetration rates, too, had climbed from zero to almost 100% by the time a new insurgency kicked off in 2019 that was closely followed by the start of the Covid-19 pandemic; both events caused a drop in subscriber numbers and in revenue for the mobile operators; it was additional costs involved with repairing and replacing network infrastructure destroyed by the Taliban in the build up to their takeover that put a strain on the operators’ finances; with increased levels of risk and uncertainty now associated with running a telecom company in the embattled state (2021)
domestic: before 15 August 2021, less than 1 per 100 for fixed-line teledensity; 57 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)
international: country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2019)
Broadcast media
since 15 August 2021, independent media outlets have decreased in number due to financial hardships, departure of staff from the country, and restrictions placed by the Taliban; media workers report self-censoring criticism of the Taliban; before 15 August 2021, the former Afghan Government-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operated a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces and the country had an estimated 174 private radio stations and 83 TV stations; television and radio are key media platforms; only about a fifth of Afghans in urban areas use the internet, mostly through smartphones, and young adults are significantly more likely to use the internet (2021)
Internet users
total: 7.02 million (2020 est.)
percent of population: 18% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 26,570 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,722,612 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 29.56 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
29
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
17
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
1 (2021)
Pipelines
466 km gas (2013)
Roadways
total: 34,903 km (2017)
paved: 17,903 km (2017)
unpaved: 17,000 km (2017)
Waterways
1,200 km (2011) (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT)
country comparison to the world: 62Ports and terminals
river port(s): Hairatan, Qizil Qal`ah (Amu Darya)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
the Taliban has established a de facto ministry of defense and a national army (aka Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate Army, or Afghan Army); it has also formed a ministry of interior with a subordinate police force (2023)
Military expenditures
3.3% of GDP (2019)
3.2% of GDP (2018)
3.3% of GDP (2017)
3.1% of GDP (2016)
2.9% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
announced that approximately 130,000 personnel had been recruited for a new "National Army"; also announced that over 50,000 personnel had been trained for the police force under the ministry of interior (2022)
note: as of 2022, there were also up to 10,000 foreign fighters in Afghanistan, most of whom were aligned with the Taliban
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Taliban military/security forces are armed largely with equipment captured from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces when the central government in Kabul collapsed in 2021 (2022)
Military service age and obligation
not available
note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan Government security forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches
Military - note
the Taliban’s primary security threats include ISIS-Khorasan and anti-Taliban resistance elements known as the National Resistance Front and Afghanistan Freedom Front (2023)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Haqqani Taliban Network; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Jaish-e-Mohammed; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; al-Qa’ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
note 1: as of mid-2022, TTP was reportedly the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with an estimated 3-4,000 armed fighters operating primarily along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
note 2: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Afghanistan-China: None identified
Afghanistan-Iran: Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought
Afghanistan-Pakistan: Pakistan has built fences in some portions of its border with Afghanistan which remains open in some areas to terrorist and other illegal activities. Their alignments may not always be in conformance with Durand Line and original surveyed definitions of the boundary.
Afghanistan-Tajikistan: None identified
Afghanistan-Turkmenistan: None identified
Afghanistan-Uzbekistan: None identified. Boundary follows Amu Darya river as delimited in the Afghan-Soviet treaties and not by the river's current course. The boundary was delimited and possibly demarcated during Soviet times (pre-1991). No current negotiations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to redelimit the boundary have been identified.
Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 59,486 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2022)
IDPs: 4.314 million (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to natural disasters and political instability) (2021)
Trafficking in persons
tier rating:
Tier 3 — Afghanistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore, Afghanistan remains on Tier 3; substantial personnel turnover and closing of some ministries after the August 15, 2021 Taliban takeover hindered Afghanistan’s ability to maintain consistent anti-trafficking efforts; although the pre-August 15 government took some training and awareness steps to address trafficking, it employed or recruited child soldiers and sexual slaves in government compounds; after August 15, the Taliban continued recruiting or employing child soldiers and did not investigate, prosecute, or convict any traffickers; the Taliban shut down shelters for victims, did not identify or protect victims, and did not make any efforts to prevent trafficking; Taliban undermining the rights of women, minorities, and other vulnerable populations, further exacerbated vulnerabilities to trafficking (2022)
trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Afghanistan and exploit Afghan victims abroad; internal trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking; since the Taliban takeover, vulnerabilities to exploitation have intensified; traffickers exploit men, women, and a large number of children domestically; victims are subjected to forced labor in agriculture, brick kilns, carpet weaving, domestic servitude, commercial sex, begging, poppy cultivation and harvesting, salt mining, transnational drug smuggling, and truck driving; the Taliban and non-state armed groups, such as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), continue to unlawfully recruit and use child soldiers; sexual exploitation of boys remains pervasive nationwide, and traffickers subject some boys to sexual exploitation abroad; after the Taliban takeover, restrictions on the movement of women and girls, and severely diminished access to employment and education, increased their vulnerability to trafficking; LGBTQI+ individuals are among the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan under the Taliban (2022)
note: The United States has not recognized the Taliban or another entity as the government of Afghanistan. On August 15, 2021, the Taliban culminated its takeover of Kabul, and on September 7, 2021, the Taliban announced a so-called interim government. As of December 2021, the Taliban had not outlined steps or a timeline to establish a new permanent government. All references to “the pre-August 15 government” refer to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. References to the Taliban reflect events both prior to and after August 15.
Illicit drugs
the world’s largest producer of illicit opiates, but it is not a major supplier to the United States; 215,000 hectares (ha) of opium poppy cultivated in Afghanistan in 2020; also produces methamphetamine and cannabis products; one of the highest domestic substance abuse rates in the world
(2022)