Introduction

Geography

People and Society

Environment

Government

Economy

Energy

Communications

Transportation

Military

Terrorism

Transnational Issues

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. 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

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 652,230 sq km

land: 652,230 sq km

water: 0 sq km

comparison ranking: total 43

Area — comparative

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

Area comparison map:

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: 58,7% (2022 est.)

arable land: 12% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0,3% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 46,4% (2022 est.)

forest: 1,9% (2022 est.)

other: 39,4% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land

24,930 sq km (2022)

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

Population 

total: 40,121,552 (2024 est.)

male: 20,301,066

female: 19,820,486

comparison rankings: total 36; male 37; female 37

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, Pashaie, 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%, 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 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

Religions

Muslim 99,7% (Sunni 84.7 — 89,7%, Shia 10 — 15%), other <0.3% (2009 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)

2024 population pyramid:

This is the population pyramid for Afghanistan. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country’s population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 82.7 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 77.5 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 19.3 (2024 est.)

Median age

total: 20 years (2024 est.)

male: 20 years

female: 20.1 years

comparison ranking: total 206

Population growth rate

2.22% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 32

Birth rate

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

comparison ranking: 15

Death rate

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

comparison ranking: 19

Net migration rate

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

comparison ranking: 99

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 (2024 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

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

comparison ranking: 7

Infant mortality rate

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

male: 109.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 92.5 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 1

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.4 years (2024 est.)

male: 52.8 years

female: 56.1 years

comparison ranking: total population 227

Total fertility rate

4.43 children born/woman (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 17

Gross reproduction rate
2.16 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved:

urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 76,1% of population (2022 est.)

total: 82,2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved:

urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 23,9% of population (2022 est.)

total: 17,8% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

21.8% of GDP (2021)

1.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.32 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

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

Sanitation facility access

improved:

urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 58,9% of population (2022 est.)

total: 68% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved:

urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 41,1% of population (2022 est.)

total: 32% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity — adult prevalence rate

5.5% (2016)

comparison ranking: 177

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.)

comparison ranking: total 183

Tobacco use

total: 20,8% (2025 est.)

male: 36,5% (2025 est.)

female: 5,2% (2025 est.)

comparison ranking: total 62

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

19.1% (2018)

comparison ranking: 17

Currently married women (ages 15-49)
70.3% (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 9,6% (2023)

women married by age 18: 28,7% (2023)

men married by age 18: 7,3% (2015)

Education expenditure

4.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

8.2% national budget (2017 est.)

comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 94

Literacy

total population: 37% (2021 est.)

male: 52% (2021 est.)

female: 26,6% (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years (2018 est.)

male: 13 years (2018 est.)

female: 8 years (2018 est.)

Environment

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

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

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Land use

agricultural land: 58,7% (2022 est.)

arable land: 12% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0,3% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 46,4% (2022 est.)

forest: 1,9% (2022 est.)

other: 39,4% (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 26,9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3,34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide 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.)

comparison ranking: total emissions 118

Particulate matter emissions

84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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.)

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.)

Total renewable water resources

65.33 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Government

Country name 

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

conventional short form: Afghanistan

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

local 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»

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

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)

Constitution

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

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: 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 seen by them as a head of government

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

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

most recent election date: 28 September 2019

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

note: 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

National symbol (s)

lion

National color (s)

red, green, black

National anthem (s)

title: «Milli Surood» (National Anthem)

lyrics/music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA

history: 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 Buddha statues at Bamyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001

Economy

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$82.238 billion (2023 est.) 
$80.416 billion (2022 est.)
$85.768 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 104

Real GDP growth rate

2.3% (2023 est.) 
-6.2% (2022 est.)
-20.7% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

comparison ranking: 143

Real GDP per capita

$2,000 (2023 est.) 
$2,000 (2022 est.)
$2,100 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

comparison ranking: 205

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.152 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-6.6% (2024 est.) 
-4.6% (2023 est.)
13.7% (2022 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

comparison ranking: 1

GDP — composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 34,7% (2023 est.)

industry: 13,4% (2023 est.)

services: 46,4% (2023 est.)

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

comparison rankings: agriculture 5; industry 170; services 166

GDP — composition, by end use

household consumption: 98,1% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 21,2% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 15,2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 0,1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 16,9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2023 est.)

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

Agricultural products

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2023 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 104

Labor force

9.133 million (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 58

Unemployment rate

13.3% (2024 est.) 
14% (2023 est.)
14.1% (2022 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

comparison ranking: 168

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 16,7% (2024 est.)

male: 15,8% (2024 est.)

female: 27% (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: total 68

Population below poverty line

54.5% (2016 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Remittances

1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

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

Budget

revenues: $9.093 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: $7.411 billion (2017 est.)

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

Taxes and other revenues

9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

comparison ranking: 131

Current account balance

-$3.137 billion (2020 est.) 
-$3.792 billion (2019 est.)
-$3.897 billion (2018 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 161

Exports

$1.476 billion (2020 est.) 
$1.516 billion (2019 est.)
$1.609 billion (2018 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 175

Exports — partners

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

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

Exports — commodities

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

$6.983 billion (2020 est.) 
$7.371 billion (2019 est.)
$7.988 billion (2018 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 140

Imports — partners

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

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

Imports — commodities

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$9.749 billion (2020 est.) 
$8.498 billion (2019 est.)
$8.207 billion (2018 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 79

Debt — external

$2.717 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

comparison ranking: 88

Exchange rates

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:

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: 85,3% (2022 est.)

electrification — urban areas: 95,9%

electrification — rural areas: 81,7%

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 627,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 6.468 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 6.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 725.652 million kWh (2023 est.)

comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 147; consumption 122; imports 40; transmission/distribution losses 88

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 13,3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 9,7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 77% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

production: 767,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption: 503,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports: 265,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 66 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 58,000 bbl/day (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.)

Energy consumption per capita

3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

comparison ranking: 177

Communications

Telephones — fixed lines

total subscriptions: 182,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 121

Telephones — mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 23 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 57 (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 59

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

Internet users

percent of population: 18% (2023 est.)

Broadband — fixed subscriptions

total: 33,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

comparison ranking: total 159

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
YA

Airports

68 (2025)

comparison ranking: 73

Heliports

8 (2025)

comparison ranking: 80

Military and Security

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 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

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

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 service age and obligation

service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)

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

Military — note

the Taliban’s key security priorities are border and internal security; specific issues have included rising 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)

Terrorism

Terrorist group (s)

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)

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 country

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 the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 21,236 (2024 est.)

IDPs: 5,457,183 (2024 est.)

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

Illicit drugs

USG identification:

major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)