2024 Edition Primary

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. Internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels forced the USSR to withdraw in 1989. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US and Allied 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 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and he was reelected in 2009. Ashraf Ghani AHMADZAI succeeded him as president in 2014 following a disputed election. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021.The Taliban established an all-male interim leadership structure dominated by Pashtun clerics under the leadership of Haivatrullah AKHUNDZADA. The Taliban issued numerous edicts that constrained women's mobility, ability to study and work, and access to education beyond primary school. To date, no country has recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.

Area

land

652,230 sq km

total

652,230 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Noshak 7,492 m

lowest point

Amu Darya 258 m

mean elevation

1,884 m

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

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)

Irrigated land

24,930 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 91 km; Iran 921 km; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan 804 km; Uzbekistan 144 km

total

5,987 km

Land use

agricultural land

58.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.8% (2018)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 46% (2018)

forest

1.8% (2018 est.)

other

40.1% (2018)

Location

Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

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 kmnote – [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)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Age structure

0-14 years

39.6% (male 8,062,407/female 7,818,897)

15-64 years

57.5% (male 11,702,734/female 11,372,249)

65 years and over

2.9% (2024 est.) (male 535,925/female 629,340)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

34.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

4.2%

women married by age 18

28.3% (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

19.1% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

18.9% (2018)

note

note:  percent of women aged 12-49

Current health expenditure

15.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

70.3% (2023 est.)

Death rate

11.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8

potential support ratio

22.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

84.6

youth dependency ratio

80.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 68.3% of population

improved: total

total: 76.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 31.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 23.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

current, reliable statistical data on ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available; Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution cited Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pashaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, and Brahwui ethnicities; Afghanistan has dozens of other small ethnic groups

Gross reproduction rate

2.16 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

92.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

109.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

101.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashaie 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

note 1: percentages sum to more than 100% because many people are multilingual note 2: Uzbeki, Turkmani, Pashaie, Nuristani, Balochi, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them

Life expectancy at birth

female

56.1 years

male

52.8 years

total population

54.4 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

22.6% (2021)

male

52.1%

total population

37.3%

Major urban areas - population

4.589 million KABUL (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

620 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

20.1 years

male

20 years

total

20 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.9 years (2015 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Afghan

noun

Afghan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.5% (2016)

Physician density

0.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

19,820,486 (2024 est.)

male

20,301,066

total

40,121,552

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

Population growth rate

2.22% (2024 est.)

Religions

Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 52% of population

improved: total

total: 61.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 88.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 48% of population

unimproved: total

total: 38.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 11.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2018)

male

13 years

total

10 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

7.2% (2020 est.)

male

39.4% (2020 est.)

total

23.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.43 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

26.9% of total population (2023)

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

Capital

daylight saving time

does not observe daylight savings time

etymology

named for the Kabul River, but the river's name is of unknown origin

geographic coordinates

34 31 N, 69 11 E

name

Kabul

time difference

UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

history

several previous; latest ratified in 2004, but not currently enforced by the Taliban

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021); current country name disputed

conventional short form

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"

local long form

Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021; current country name is disputed)

local short form

Afghanistan

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the United States does not maintain a presence in Afghanistan and its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan has relocated to Doha, Qatar

Diplomatic representation in the US

noneNote:  the Afghan Embassy closed in March 2022

Executive branch

cabinet

the Taliban have announced a “cabinet” for the “caretaker government,” including the “acting prime minister,” “acting deputy prime ministers,” and “ministers” who claim to represent 26 ministries

chief of state

Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada (since 15 August 2021)

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, and the Taliban have given no indication that they intend to reinstate elections or any other mechanism of democratic governance

head of government

overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada is the [so-called] Amir-ul Momineen of the Taliban and is seen by them as a head of government

note

note: the United States has not yet made a decision whether to recognize the Taliban or any other entity as the government of Afghanistan

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

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 2004note 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

Government type

theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government

Independence

19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Afghanistan is a member of the following organizations but Taliban representatives do not participate: 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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Taliban are purported to have appointed clerics, including a "Chief Justice", to Afghanistan's Supreme Court

subordinate courts

provincial courts, religious courts, and specialty courts

Legal system

the Taliban is implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, which is partially based on the Hanifi school of Islamic jurisprudence and have enforced strict punishments; before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had a mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law (2021)

Legislative branch

note: before August 2021, Afghanistan had a bicameral National Assembly that consisted of the House of Elders and House of the People; the parliament has been on hiatus since August 2021 and the Taliban has shown no interest in reviving it

National anthem

lyrics/music

Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA

name

"Milli Surood" (National Anthem)

note

note: adopted 2006

National heritage

note

note: the monumental 6th- and 7th-century statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001

selected World Heritage Site locales

Minaret of Jam; Buddhas of Bamyan

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

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

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: red, green, black

Political parties

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 2019the Taliban have banned other political parties but have allowed some party leaders, including the head of Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, to continue to live and work in Afghanistan; Hekmatyar likely continues to enjoy some political support from loyalists; leaders of other parties, including Jamiat-e-Islami’s Salahuddin Rabbani and Jumbesh’s Rashid Dostum, operate from abroad but likely also command some following within Afghanistan; note - before 15 August 2021, the Ministry of Justice had licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, milk, watermelons, grapes, potatoes, cantaloupes/melons, vegetables, rice, onions, apples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$7.411 billion (2017 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$9.093 billion (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$3.897 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$3.792 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$3.137 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$2.14 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Exchange rates

Currency

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2016

67.866 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

68.027 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

72.083 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

77.738 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

76.814 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$1.609 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$1.516 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$1.476 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

coal, cotton, grapes, gum resins, nuts (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Pakistan 57%, India 28%, China 3%, UAE 2%, Turkey 2% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

18.4% (2022 est.)

government consumption

21.8% (2022 est.)

household consumption

97.6% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-54.5% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

33.7% (2022 est.)

industry

16.1% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

45% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.502 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2018

$7.988 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$7.371 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$6.983 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

wheat, tobacco, palm oil, packaged medicine, rice (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

UAE 21%, Kazakhstan 17%, Pakistan 17%, China 9%, Uzbekistan 9% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-5.73% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.98% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

0.63% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.3% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

8.921 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

54.5% (2016 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$108.209 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$85.768 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$80.416 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-2.35% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-20.74% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-6.24% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$2,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$2,100 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,000 (2022 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

3.95% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

2.24% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.55% of GDP (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$8.207 billion (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$8.498 billion (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$9.749 billion (2020 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

11.93% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

14.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

14.39% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

30.4% (2023 est.)

male

16.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

18.1% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

3.125 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

167,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2020 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.904 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

7.029 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.545 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

3.343 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

4,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

4.885 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

66 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

5.994 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

5.881 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

627,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

717.333 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

81.7%

electrification - total population

85.3% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

95.9%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

15.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

74.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

9.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

2.686 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

49.554 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

26,570 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

under the Taliban government, independent media outlets have decreased in number and are probably self-censoring criticism of the Taliban and the Ministry of Information and Culture monitors all mass media in Afghanistan; television and radio are key media platforms; only about a fifth of Afghans use the internet, mostly through smartphones (2023)

Internet country code

.af

Internet users

percent of population

18% (2020 est.)

total

7.02 million (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

before the Taliban takeover in August 2021, less than 1 per 100 for fixed-line teledensity; 57 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

Afghanistan's telecom sector is facing challenges providing adequate coverage to all of the population; prior to the Taliban regaining power, the World Bank and other donors supported the development of a nationwide fiber backbone and there is terrestrial cable connectivity to five neighboring countries; work on the 'Wakhan Corridor Fiber Optic Survey Project' to connect to China has faced obstacles because of Afghanistan's economic issues. (2021)

international

country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

146,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

57 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

22.678 million (2021 est.)

Airports

67 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YA

Heliports

8 (2024)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

29.56 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,722,612 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

13

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

466 km gas (2013)

Roadways

paved

17,903 km

total

34,903 km

unpaved

17,000 km (2021)

Waterways

1,200 km (2011) (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT)

Military - note

the Taliban’s security focuses include border security, ISIS-Khorasan, and anti-Taliban resistance elements (2023)

Military and security forces

the Taliban claims authority over a 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 police forces under a Ministry of Interior (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Taliban claims that the defense forces have approximately 150,000 personnel; it also claims that over 50,000 personnel had been trained for the police forces (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Taliban military/security forces are armed with weapons and equipment captured in 2021 from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which was largely equipped with Russian/Soviet-era and US material (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

2.9% of GDP (2015)

Military Expenditures 2016

3.1% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

3.3% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

3.2% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.3% of GDP (2019)

Military service age and obligation

service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)

note

note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches

Illicit drugs

the world’s largest supplier of opiates, but it is not a major supplier to the United States; 233,000 hectares (ha) of opium poppy cultivated in Afghanistan in 2022; opium from poppies used to produce morphine and heroin; also produces large quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis, and cannabis products such as hashish; one of the world’s largest populations suffering from substance abuse; major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics. (2022)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

4.394 million (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to natural disasters and political instability) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

59,486 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2022)

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 remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/afghanistan/

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

note 1:  as of 2024, Afghanistan was assessed to be a place of global significance for terrorism, with approximately 20 designated and non-designated terrorist groups operating in the countrynote 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 the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

8.67 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

90.98 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

62.49 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil conflict, population displacement, and economic slowdown - the latest analysis estimated the number of people in crisis or emergency food insecurity at 15.3 million people (35% of the population analyzed) between May and October 2023; although the levels of acute food insecurity have declined compared to the same season in 2022, largely due to seasonal improvements and the scale‑up of humanitarian assistance in 2022, the situation could deteriorate in areas where humanitarian assistance faces access constraints; the ban on women’s participation in the humanitarian response poses a challenge to the delivery of quality humanitarian assistance leading to significant additional access constraints, particularly to the most vulnerable, women and children (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

58.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.8% (2018)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 46% (2018)

forest

1.8% (2018 est.)

other

40.1% (2018)

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 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

65.33 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

20 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

170 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

26.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

5,628,525 tons (2016 est.)