Geography and Location
Area: total 652230 Sq Km
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
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Elevation: mean elevation: 1,884 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Noshak 7,485 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 58.1%
arable land: 11.9%
permanent crops: 0.2%
permanent pasture: 46%
forest: 2.1%
other: 39.8% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land: 32,080 sq km (2012)
Total renewable water resources: 65.33 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 20.28 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)
per capita: 823.1 cu m/yr (2005)
Natural hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
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
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
Ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz)
note: current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan is not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan’s 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai (2015)
Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism, but Dari functions as the lingua franca
note: The Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, 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.)
Population: 32,564,342 (July 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
Age structure: 0–14 years: 41.47% (male 6,861,021/female 6,644,780)
15–24 years: 22.41% (male 3,716,738/female 3,579,701)
25–54 years: 29.69% (male 4,928,181/female 4,741,601)
55–64 years: 3.88% (male 621,970/female 641,307)
65 years and over: 2.55% (male 384,267/female 444,776) (2015 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 87%
youth dependency ratio: 82.3%
elderly dependency ratio: 4.6%
potential support ratio: 21.7% (2015 est.)
Median age: total: 18.4 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 18.4 years (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Population growth rate: 2.32% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Birth rate: 38.57 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Death rate: 13.89 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Net migration rate: -1.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Urbanization: urban population: 26.7% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 3.96% annual rate of change (2010–15 est.)
Major urban areas—population: KABUL (capital) 4.635 Million (2015)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 396 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Infant mortality rate: total: 115.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 122.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 107.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.87 years
male: 49.52 years
female: 52.29 years (2015 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.33 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 21.2% (2010/11)
Health expenditures: 8.1% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 46
Physicians density: 0.27 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
Hospital bed density: 0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 78.2% of population
rural: 47% of population
total: 55.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 21.8% of population
rural: 53% of population
total: 44.7% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 45.1% of population
rural: 27% of population
total: 31.9% of population
unimproved:
urban: 54.9% of population
rural: 73% of population
total: 68.1% of population (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vector borne disease: malaria animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013).
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.2%
male: 52%
female: 24.2% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 11 years
male: 13 years
female: 8 years (2014)
Child labor—children ages 5–14: total number: 2,082,722
percentage: 25.3%
note: data on child labor in Afghanistan is uncertain and may be higher than the estimated 25.3% of children ages 5–14 derived from 2010–11 survey results; UNICEF estimated that 30% of children ages 5–14 in 2011 were engaged in child labor (2010/11 est.)
Political and Administrative Information
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, Sare Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul
Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday: Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Constitution: several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003—4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004 (2016)
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch: chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29September 2014); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai (since 29 September 2014); CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5 year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in 2 rounds on 5 April and 14 June2014 (next to be held in 2019)
election results: percent of vote in first round Abdullah ABDULLAH (National Coalition of Afghanistan) 45%, Ashraf GHANI (independent) 31.6%, Zalmai RASSOUL 11.4%, other 12%; percent of vote in second round Ashraf GHANI 56.4%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 43.6%
Legislative branch: description: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by district councils to serve 3 year terms, 34 indirectly elected by provincial councils to serve 4 year terms, and 34 nominated by the president of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; members serve 5 year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5 year terms)
note: the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils; no Loya Jirga has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected
elections: last held on 18 September 2010 (next to be held on 15 October 2016)
election results: results by party NA; note ethnicity is the main factor influencing political alliances; approximate percentage of seats by ethnic group Pashtun 39%, Hazara 24%, Tajik 21%, Uzbek 6%, other10% (including Aimak, Arab, Baloch, Nuristani, Pahhai, Turkmen, Turkic); women hold 69 seats
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the Supreme Court Chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans)
judge selection and term of office: court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10year terms
subordinate courts: Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles
Political parties and leaders: note the Ministry of Justice licensed 84 political parties as of December 2012
Political pressure groups and leaders: other: religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban International organization participation: ADB, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NATO (pending), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National symbol(s): lion; national colors: red, green, black
National anthem: name: “Milli Surood” (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA
note: adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups
Economy
Economy overview: Afghanistan’s economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, lack of infrastructure, and the Afghan Government’s difficulty in extending rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan’s living standards are among the lowest in the world. The international community remains committed to Afghanistan’s development, pledging over $67 billion at nine donors’ conferences between 2003 and 2010. In July 2012, the donors at the Tokyo conference pledged an additional $16 billion in civilian aid through 2015. Despite this help, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome a number of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, and poor public infrastructure. Afghanistan’s growth rate slowed markedly in 2014–15. The drawdown of international security forces that started in 2014 has negatively affected economic growth, as a substantial portion of commerce, especially in the services sector, has catered to the ongoing international troop presence in the country. Afghan President Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai is dedicated to instituting economic reforms to include improving revenue collection and fighting corruption. However, the reforms will take time to implement and Afghanistan will remain dependent on international donor support over the next several years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$62.32 billion (2015 est.)
$61.53 billion (2014 est.)
$59.46 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 104
GDP (official exchange rate): $20.84 billion (2014 est.)
GDP—real growth rate:
1.5% (2015 est.)
1.3% (2014 est.)
3.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
GDP—per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2015 est.)
$2,000 (2014 est.)
$2,000 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 206
GDP—composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 21%
services: 55%
note: data exclude opium production (2014 est.)
Agriculture products: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries: small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, nonalcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Labor force: 7.983 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture: 78.6%
industry: 5.7%
services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)
Unemployment rate: 35% (2008 est.)
40% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Population below poverty line: 36% (FY08/09 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest: 10%: 3.8%
highest: 10%: 24% (2008)
Budget: revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $6.639 billion (2015 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 8.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (–): -23.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
Fiscal year: 21 December—20 December
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1.5% (2015 est.)
4.7% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA
Current account balance: $872 million (2015 est.)
$1.604 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Exports: $2.679 billion (2013 est.)
$2.785 billion (2012 est.)
note: not including illicit exports or re-exports
country comparison to the world: 131
Exports—commodities: opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports—partners: India 42.2%, Pakistan 28.9%, Tajikistan 7.6% (2015)
Imports: $12.19 billion (2013 est.)
$11.66 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Imports—commodities: machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports—partners: Pakistan 38.6%, India 8.9%, US 8.3%, Turkmenistan 6.2%, China 6%, Kazakhstan 5.9%, Azerbaijan 4.9% (2015)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.681 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$6.443 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Debt external:
$1.28 billion (FY10/11)
$2.7 billion (FY08/09)
country comparison to the world: 160
Exchange rates: Afghanis (AFA) per US dollar—
63 (2015 est.)
57.25 (2014 est.)
57.25 (2013 est.)
46.75 (2011 est.)
46.45 (2010)
Electricity—production: 884.1 million kWh (2012 est.)
Electricity—consumption: 3.893 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity—imports: 3.071 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity—installed generating capacity: 621,000 kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Electricity—from fossil fuels: 35.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity—from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Electricity—from hydro-electric plants: 64.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Electricity—from other renewable sources: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Refined petroleum products—consumption: 43,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Refined petroleum products—imports: 42,640 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas—production: 159.6 million cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas—consumption: 159.6 million cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas—proved reserves: 49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: 8.552 million Mt (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Telephones—fixed lines: total subscriptions: 100,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Telephones—mobile cellular: total: 23.4 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 74 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Telephone system: general assessment: limited fixed line telephone service; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks
domestic: aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile cellular telephone service continues to improve rapidly; the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information claims that more than 90 percent of the population live in areas with access to mobile cellular services
international: country code 93; multiple VSAT’s provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2012)
Broadcast media: state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 150 private radio stations, 50 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2007)
Radio broadcast stations: 48 (station types NA) (2009)
Television broadcast stations: 16 (1 state run station and 15 registered private stations) (2009)
Internet country code: .af
Internet hosts: 223 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 199
Internet users: total: 1.9 million
percent of population: 5.9% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Pipelines: gas 466 km (2013)
Roadways: total: 42,150 km
paved: 12,350 km
unpaved: 29,800 km (2006)
country comparison to the world: 84
Waterways: 1,200 km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 60
Ports and terminals: river port(s): Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Defense, Security & International Relations
Military branches: Afghan National Security Forces: Afghan National Army, Afghan Air Force, Afghan National Police, Afghan Local Police (2016)
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2016)
Military expenditures:
28.09% of GDP (2016)
4.74% of GDP (2011)
Disputes—international: Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps and since 2014 have met to discuss collaboration on the Taliban insurgency and counter terrorism efforts; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan’s restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries.
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 241,641 (Pakistan) (2015)
IDPs: 1,174,306 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and political instability) (2015)
Illicit drugs: world’s largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 7 percent, to a record 211,000 hectares in 2014 from 198,000 hectares in 2013, while eradication dropped sharply; relatively low opium yields due to poor weather kept potential opium production 6,300 metric tons below the record set in 2007; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counter drug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; illicit cultivation of cannabis and regional source of hashish.
Source: The World Fact Book 2017
