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.

Area
Total: 652,230 km²
Land: 652,230 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,987 km
Border countries (6): (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

Land use
Agricultural land: 58.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 12% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Other: 39.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 24,930 km² (2022)

Major rivers: 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

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)

Population
Total: 40,121,552 (2024 est.)
Male: 20,301,066
Female: 19,820,486
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
Growth rate: 2.22% (2024 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 <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)

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

Population growth rate: 2.22% (2024 est.)

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

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

Population distribution: populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated

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.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 521 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 54.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 52.8 years
Female: 56.1 years

Total fertility rate: 4.43 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 17.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 7% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 32% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.4% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 13.3% (2024 est.); 14% (2023 est.); 14.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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)

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

National anthem
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:
Note: the monumental 6th- and 7th-century Buddha statues at Bamyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001

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

Real gdp per capita: 2.3% (2023 est.); -6.2% (2022 est.); -20.7% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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

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

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

Labor force: 9.133 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 13.3% (2024 est.); 14% (2023 est.); 14.1% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 13.3% (2024 est.); 14% (2023 est.); 14.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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

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
Commodities: coal, grapes, tropical fruits, gum resins, other nuts (2023)
Commodities 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
Commodities: wheat flours, tobacco, palm oil, broadcasting equipment, synthetic fabric (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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.)
Access electrification - total population: 85.3% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 95.9%
Access electrification - rural areas: 81.7%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 13.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources 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.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.757 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 930,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 6.827 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 182,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 23 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 57 (2021 est.)

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

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)

Airports: 68 (2025)

Heliports: 8 (2025)