Afghanistan
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Afghanistan⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 652,230 sq km
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 652,230 sq km
- Climate
- arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
- Terrain
- mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Land Use
- Other
- 39.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 1.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 58.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 12% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Amu Darya 258 m
- Highest point
- Noshak 7,492 m
- Mean elevation
- 1,884 m
- Irrigated land
- 24,930 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 5,987 km
- Border countries
- China 91 km; Iran 921 km; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan 804 km; Uzbekistan 144 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- 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)
- Natural resources
- natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land
- Area comparative
- almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas
- Geographic coordinates
- 33 00 N, 65 00 E
- 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
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Salt water lake(s)
- Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km
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)
- 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
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 52.1% (2021 est.)
- Female
- 26.6% (2022 est.)
- Total population
- 37.3% (2021 est.)
Languages
- 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 - 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.
- Religions
- Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.)
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
- Total population
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.85 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 35.99 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 20 years
- Total
- 18.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 20.1 years
Population
- Male
- 25,051,967
- Total
- 49,474,805 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 24,422,838
Nationality
- Noun
- Afghan(s)
- Adjective
- Afghan
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 36.5% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 20.8% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 5.2% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 26.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- 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
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 7.3% (2015)
- Women married BY age 15
- 9.6% (2023)
- Women married BY age 18
- 28.7% (2023)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 82.2 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 77 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 19 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 5.2 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.32 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 21.8% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 1.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 4.89 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 82.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 17.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 15.7% national budget (2017 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 109.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 42 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 92.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.86% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 2.39 (2025 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 52.8 years
- Female
- 56.1 years
- Total population
- 54.4 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 521 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 58.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 68% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 32% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 4.589 million KABUL (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 5.5% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 19.9 years (2015 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 65.9% (2023 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 18.4% (2022 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 13 years (2018 est.)
- Total
- 11 years (2018 est.)
- Female
- 8 years (2018 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal vertical bands of black (left), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other bands; the emblem shows a mosque with a 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); a border of wheat sheaves circles the mosque; above the mosque is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed), with rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"); under the mosque is a scroll with the name Afghanistan
meaning: black stands for the past, and red for the blood shed for independence; green can represent hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam
history: 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
Capital
- Name
- Kabul
- Etymology
- named for the Kabul River, but the river's name is of unknown origin
- Time difference
- UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- does not observe daylight savings time
- Geographic coordinates
- 34 31 N, 69 11 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
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
- Etymology
- the name "Afghan" originally referred to the Pashtun people, but today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups; 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
- Conventional long form
- Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021); current country name disputed
- Conventional short form
- Afghanistan
- Independence
- 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
- 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)
- Government type
- theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government
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
Executive Branch
- 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
- 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)
- Head of government
- overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada is the [so-called] Amir-ul Momineen of the Taliban and is effectively the head of government
- Most recent election date
- 28 September 2019
- Election/appointment process
- 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); the Taliban have given no indication that they intend to reinstate elections or any other mechanism of democratic governance
- 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 color(s)
- red, green, black
National Heritage
- Note
- note: the monumental 6th- and 7th-century Buddha statues at Bamyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001
- Total world heritage sites
- 2 (both cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Minaret of Jam; Buddhas of Bamyan
- Political parties
- the Taliban Government enforces an authoritarian state and has banned other political parties
the 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 - Legislative branch
- note: Afghanistan’s bicameral National Assembly consisted of the House of Elders and House of the People but was dissolved after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Milli Surood" (National Anthem)
- History
- adopted 2006
- Lyrics/music
- Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA
- National symbol(s)
- lion
- 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
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none
note: the Afghan Embassy closed in March 2022
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
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
AFGHANISTAN · LOWER HOUSE
House of the People
250 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
250
Majority line
126
Largest party
—
Parties
—
Upper house
AFGHANISTAN · UPPER HOUSE
House of Elders
102 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
102
Majority line
52
Largest party
—
Parties
—
Leaders
Current
Hibatullah Akhundzada
- Head of State
Mohammad Hasan Akhund
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- 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.)
- Expenditures
- $7.411 billion (2017 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $2.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2018
- $1.609 billion (2018 est.)
- Exports 2019
- $1.516 billion (2019 est.)
- Exports 2020
- $1.476 billion (2020 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $8.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2018
- $7.988 billion (2018 est.)
- Imports 2019
- $7.371 billion (2019 est.)
- Imports 2020
- $6.983 billion (2020 est.)
- 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
- 9.133 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 8.0%
- Public debt 2016
- 7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
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.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $2.717 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- low-income South Asian economy; economy stable after major contraction due to Taliban takeover, but recovery remains fragile; widespread poverty and obstacles to human development; import-reliant for food, fuel, and machinery; ongoing sanctions, suspended development aid, and frozen reserve assets
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 13.4%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 14.1% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 14% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 13.3% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Pakistan 42%, India 40%, China 4%, UAE 2%, Turkey 2% (2023)
- Imports partners
- UAE 28%, Pakistan 15%, China 15%, Uzbekistan 12%, Kazakhstan 9% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $2,304
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2021
- $2,100 (2021 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $2,000 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $2,000 (2023 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.0%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2021
- -20.7% (2021 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- -6.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural products
- wheat, milk, grapes, watermelons, potatoes, cantaloupes/melons, vegetables, rice, onions, maize (2023)
- Exports commodities
- coal, grapes, tropical fruits, gum resins, other nuts (2023)
- Imports commodities
- wheat flours, tobacco, palm oil, broadcasting equipment, synthetic fabric (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$7.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $17.152 billion (2023 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 98.1% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 21.2% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 15.2% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 16.9% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -50.7% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 54.5% (2016 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.9%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 13.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- -4.6% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- -6.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 1.8% (2023 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $101B
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
- $85.768 billion (2021 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $80.416 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $82.238 billion (2023 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 15.8% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 16.7% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 27% (2024 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 13.4% (2023 est.)
- Services
- 46.4% (2023 est.)
- Agriculture
- 34.7% (2023 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 265,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 767,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 503,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 66 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 58,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Imports
- 6.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 6.468 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 627,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 725.652 million kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Production
- 80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- Consumption
- 80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 49.554 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 81.7%
- Electrification urban areas
- 95.9%
- Electrification total population
- 85.3% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 13.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 77% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 18% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- under the Taliban, independent media outlets have decreased and are probably self-censoring; the Ministry of Information and Culture monitors all mass media; television and radio are key media platforms; only about a fifth of Afghans use the internet, mostly through smartphones (2023)
- Internet country code
- .af
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 182,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 25.6 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 60 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 33,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Transport
- Airports
- 68 (2025)
- Heliports
- 8 (2025)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- YA
Environment
- Climate
- arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Land Use
- Other
- 39.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 1.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 58.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 12% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 26.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 5.629 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 11.1% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution in urban areas
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 203.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 169.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 7.757 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 930,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 6.827 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 65.33 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental 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
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Taliban’s key security priorities are border and internal security; specific issues have included tensions with Pakistan along their shared border, armed anti-Taliban resistance elements, and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.8%
- 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 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 (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Taliban military and security forces are equipped with armaments captured in 2021 from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which were largely equipped with Russian/Soviet-era and US material (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- the Taliban claims to have 190,000 under the Ministry of Defense and 215,000 under the Ministry of Interior (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Haqqani Network; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Islamic Jihad Union (IJU); Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU); 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)
Transnational Issues
Illicit Drugs
- Usg identification
major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
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/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/afghanistan/
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 5,457,183 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 21,236 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index8.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4185 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−3.4as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.02as of 2024-Q4167 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (0/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (32/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Afghanistan — vintage 2026-Q1: Afghanistan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/afghanistan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata