Afghanistan

<p>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.</p> <p>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.<br><br>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.</p>

Land

652,230 sq km

Total

652,230 sq km

Water

0 sq km

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

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

0 km (landlocked)

Asia

Highest point

Noshak 7,492 m

Lowest point

Amu Darya 258 m

Mean elevation

1,884 m

33 00 N, 65 00 E

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)

24,930 sq km (2022)

Border countries

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

number of neighbors

6

Total

5,987 km

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.)

arable land

12.03%

Forest

1.9% (2023 est.)

Other

39.7% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.41%

Yes

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

Salt water lake(s)

Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km

Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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)

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/BXBGw7yUUFknCfva9

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/303427

Asia

none (landlocked)

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

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

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

Southern Asia

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

UTC+04:30

number of time zones

1

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)

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.)

35.99 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Men married by age 18

7.3% (2015)

Women married by age 15

9.6% (2023)

Women married by age 18

28.7% (2023)

44.6%

18.4% (2022 est.)

65.9% (2023 est.)

5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

179 per 1,000

adult male

224 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

5.2 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

19 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

82.2 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

77 (2025 est.)

improved total

30.55%

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 (% GDP)

4.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.7% national budget (2017 est.)

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

2.39 (2025 est.)

15 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

21.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

1.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.1%

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Female

92.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

109.7 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

34 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

42 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

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 &lt;1% (2020 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

<br> <p>کتاب حقایق جهان، مرجعی ضروری برای اطلاعات اولیە (Dari)</p> د دنیا د حقائېقو کتاب، بنیادی معلوماتو لپاره ضروری سرچینه- (Pashto)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Note

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

number of languages

3

Female

56.1 years

Male

52.8 years

Total population

54.4 years (2024 est.)

Female

26.6% (2022 est.)

Male

52.1% (2021 est.)

Total population

37.3% (2021 est.)

4.589 million KABUL (capital) (2023)

521 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Female

20.1 years

Male

20 years

Total

18.4 years (2025 est.)

19.9 years (2015 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Adjective

Afghan

Noun

Afghan(s)

-1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.5% (2016)

0.32 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Female

24,422,838

Male

25,051,967

Total

49,474,805 (2025 est.)

2.86% (2025 est.)

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

improved total

24.78%

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.)

Female

8 years (2018 est.)

Male

13 years (2018 est.)

Total

11 years (2018 est.)

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.)

Female

5.2% (2025 est.)

Male

36.5% (2025 est.)

Total

20.8% (2025 est.)

4.89 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

26.9% of total population (2023)

measles

55%

34 provinces (<em>welayat</em>, singular - <em>welayat</em>); 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

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 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

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/af.svg

History

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

alternative spellings

AF, Afġānistān

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, 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"

FIFA code

AFG

Local long form

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

local long form (prs)

جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان

Local short form

Afghanistan

Embassy

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

none<strong><br><br>note</strong>: the Afghan Embassy closed in March 2022

Cabinet

the Taliban have announced a &ldquo;cabinet&rdquo; for the &ldquo;caretaker government,&rdquo; including the &ldquo;acting prime minister,&rdquo; &ldquo;acting deputy prime ministers,&rdquo; and &ldquo;ministers&rdquo; who claim to represent 26 ministries

Chief of state

Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada (since 15 August 2021)

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

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

Note

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

<strong>description: </strong>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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> black stands for the past, and red for the blood shed for independence; green can represent hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam<br><br><strong>history:</strong> 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

note

<strong>note: </strong>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

The flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has a white field with Arabic inscriptions — the Shahada — in black across its center.

svg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Flag_of_the_Taliban.svg

theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government

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

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

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

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

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)

<strong>note:</strong> 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

red, green, black

Note

<strong>note:</strong> the monumental 6th- and 7th-century Buddha statues at Bamyan 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)

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<br><br>

lion

the Taliban Government enforces an authoritarian state and has banned other political parties<br><br>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

note

<strong>note:</strong> before 15 August 2021, the Ministry of Justice had licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019

Monday

18 years of age; universal

Yes

wheat, milk, grapes, watermelons, potatoes, cantaloupes/melons, vegetables, rice, onions, maize (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$7.411 billion (2017 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

code

AFN

name

Afghan afghani (AFN) [؋]

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

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

$3.34 billion

Debt - external 2023

$2.717 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> present value of external debt in current US dollars

<p>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</p>

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.)

$2.89 billion

Exports 2018

$1.609 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$1.516 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$1.476 billion (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

coal, grapes, tropical fruits, gum resins, other nuts (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Pakistan 42%, India 40%, China 4%, UAE 2%, Turkey 2% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$20.6 million

Exports of goods and services

16.9% (2023 est.)

Government consumption

21.2% (2023 est.)

Household consumption

98.1% (2023 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-50.7% (2023 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

15.2% (2023 est.)

Investment in inventories

0.1% (2023 est.)

Note

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

Agriculture

34.7% (2023 est.)

Industry

13.4% (2023 est.)

Note

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

Services

46.4% (2023 est.)

$17.152 billion (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$414

$17.23 billion

$370

15 % of GDP

$8.7 billion

Imports 2018

$7.988 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$7.371 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$6.983 billion (2020 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

wheat flours, tobacco, palm oil, broadcasting equipment, synthetic fabric (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 28%, Pakistan 15%, China 15%, Uzbekistan 12%, Kazakhstan 9% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.8% (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

-6.6%

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

9.133 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

9.43 million persons

agriculture

51.63%

industry

18.9%

services

29.47%

54.5% (2016 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2016

7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

$91.27 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

2.27%

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

$2,202

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

$320 million

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

13.35%

Note

<b>note:</b> % 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.)

Female

27% (2024 est.)

Male

15.8% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

16.7% (2024 est.)

Consumption

503,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Exports

265,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Production

767,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Proven reserves

66 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

6.468 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Imports

6.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

627,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

725.652 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - rural areas

81.7%

Electrification - total population

85.3% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

95.9%

Fossil fuels

13.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

71.66%

Hydroelectricity

77% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

78.23%

Solar

9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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.)

Refined petroleum consumption

58,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

20%

per 100 inhabitants

0 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total

33,000 (2023 est.)

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)

.af

Percent of population

18% (2023 est.)

+93

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Total subscriptions

182,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100

56 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

60 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

25.6 million (2024 est.)

passengers carried

1.03 million passengers

registered carrier departures

6,427 departures

68 (2025)

YA

Right

8 (2025)

AFG

armored vehicles

tanks

the Taliban&rsquo;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)

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)

active duty personnel

165,000

percent of total labor force

1.82 %

the Taliban claims to have 190,000 under the Ministry of Defense and 215,000 under the Ministry of Interior (2025)

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)

2 % of GDP

current USD

$278,250,788

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)

percent of central government expenditure

10.27 %

percent of GDP

1.83 % of GDP

service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)

note

<strong>note: </strong>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

PowerIndex score

2.7342

USG identification

<br>major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country<br><br>major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

IDPs

5,457,183 (2024 est.)

Refugees

21,236 (2024 est.)

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/

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)

note

<strong><strong>note 1:  </strong></strong>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 country<strong><strong><br></strong></strong><strong><br>note 2:</strong> 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

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.)

Total emissions

7.757 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

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

84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

4 % of total land area

7 % of total

65.33 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

43 % of internal resources

Agricultural

20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

169.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

203.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

5.629 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.1% (2022 est.)