Afghanistan — CIA World Factbook

South AsiaCapital: KabulPop: 49,474,805 (2025 est.)

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

Area - comparative

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

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

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

58.4% (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.)

forest

1.9% (2023 est.)

other

39.7% (2023 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

49,474,805 (2025 est.)

male

25,051,967

female

24,422,838

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.

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)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

82.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

77 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

5.2 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

19 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

18.4 years (2025 est.)

male

20 years

female

20.1 years

Population growth rate

2.86% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

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.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate

total

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

male

109.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female

92.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

54.4 years (2024 est.)

male

52.8 years

female

56.1 years

Total fertility rate

4.89 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.39 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 82.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 17.8% of population (2022 est.)

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.)

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

urban: 93% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 58.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 68% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 32% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.5% (2016)

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.)

Tobacco use

total

20.8% (2025 est.)

male

36.5% (2025 est.)

female

5.2% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.4% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65.9% (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

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.7% national budget (2017 est.)

Literacy

total population

37.3% (2021 est.)

male

52.1% (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

58.4% (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.)

forest

1.9% (2023 est.)

other

39.7% (2023 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

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.)

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

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must have been born in - and continuously lived in - Afghanistan

dual citizenship recognized

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 effectively the 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

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

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

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

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)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$82.238 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$80.416 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$85.768 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.3% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-6.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-20.7% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2023

$2,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$2,100 (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.152 billion (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

-6.6% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

-4.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

13.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

34.7% (2023 est.)

industry

13.4% (2023 est.)

services

46.4% (2023 est.)

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.)

Agricultural products

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

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.)

Labor force

9.133 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

13.3% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

14% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

14.1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

16.7% (2024 est.)

male

15.8% (2024 est.)

female

27% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

54.5% (2016 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2023

1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2021

2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget

revenues

$9.093 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures

$7.411 billion (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$3.137 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$3.792 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2018

-$3.897 billion (2018 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$1.476 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2019

$1.516 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2018

$1.609 billion (2018 est.)

Exports - partners

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

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

Imports 2020

$6.983 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2019

$7.371 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2018

$7.988 billion (2018 est.)

Imports - partners

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

Imports - commodities

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$9.749 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$8.498 billion (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$8.207 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$2.717 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

76.814 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

77.738 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

72.083 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

68.027 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

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.)

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

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

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.)

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

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

68 (2025)

Heliports

8 (2025)

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

Military Expenditures 2019

3.3% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2018

3.2% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2017

3.3% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2016

3.1% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2015

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 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 service age and obligation

service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)

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)

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

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: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/afghanistan/

Illicit drugs

USG identification

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

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)