Afghanistan

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)

Internet country code

.af

Internet users

total: 2.69 million | percent of population: 8.3% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 110,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 19.709 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Agriculture - products

opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins, poppies

Budget

revenues: $1.7 billion | expenditures: $6.639 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-23.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15% (31 December 2015 est.) | 15% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Current account balance

$872 million (2015 est.) | $1.604 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Debt - external

$1.28 billion (FY10/11) | $2.7 billion (FY08/09) | country comparison to the world: 159

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.

Exchange rates

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - | 61.14 (2015 est.) | 57.25 (2014 est.) | 57.25 (2013 est.) | 46.75 (2011 est.) | 46.45 (2010)

Exports

$658 million (2014 est.) | $2.679 billion (2013 est.) | note: not including illicit exports or reexports | country comparison to the world: 168

Exports - commodities

opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners

India 42.3%, Pakistan 29%, Tajikistan 7.6% (2015)

Fiscal year

21 December - 20 December

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.84 billion (2014 est.)

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 - composition, by end use

household consumption: 108.6% | government consumption: 12.8% | investment in fixed capital: 18.2% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 6.6% | imports of goods and services: -46.2% (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 24% | industry: 21% | services: 55% | note: data exclude opium production (2014 est.)

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 - real growth rate

1.5% (2015 est.) | 1.3% (2014 est.) | 3.9% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Gross national saving

23.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | 29.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | 30.4% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.8% | highest 10%: 24% (2008)

Imports

$7.004 billion (2014 est.) | $12.19 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

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)

Industrial production growth rate

1.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-1.5% (2015 est.) | 4.6% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

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.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

35.8% (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.232 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $6.681 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Stock of broad money

$6.945 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $6.544 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Stock of domestic credit

$-454 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $-767.8 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Stock of narrow money

$6.644 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $6.192 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Taxes and other revenues

8.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216

Unemployment rate

35% (2008 est.) | 40% (2005 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

7.4 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Crude oil - proved reserves

NA bbl (1 January 2016 es)

Electricity - consumption

4.7 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Electricity - from fossil fuels

35.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

64.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity - imports

3.7 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Electricity - installed generating capacity

600,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Electricity - production

1 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity access

population without electricity: 18,999,254 | electrification - total population: 43% | electrification - urban areas: 83% | electrification - rural areas: 32% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

159.6 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Natural gas - production

159.6 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Natural gas - proved reserves

49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 64

Refined petroleum products - consumption

130,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Refined petroleum products - imports

127,200 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Area

total: 652,230 sq km | land: 652,230 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 41

Area - comparative

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

Climate

arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 1,884 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m | highest point: Noshak 7,485 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection | signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 65 00 E

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)

Irrigated land

32,080 sq km (2012)

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

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.)

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

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

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)

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

Constitution

several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | conventional short form: Afghanistan | local long form: Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan | local short form: Afghanistan | former: Republic of Afghanistan | etymology: the name "Afghan" originally refered to the Pashtun people (today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups), while the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country"; so Afghanistan literally means the "Land of the Afghans"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY (since 22 December 2014) | embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul | mailing address: U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806 | telephone: [00 93] 0700 108 001 | FAX: [00 93] 0700 108 564

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Hamdullah MOHIB (since 17 September 2015) | chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 483-6410 | FAX: [1] (202) 483-6488 | consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC

Executive branch

chief of state: 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); 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 June 2014 (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%

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other two bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam | note: Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them

Government type

presidential Islamic republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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 (observer)

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 10-year terms | subordinate courts: Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law

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 (249 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 15 October 2016 (next to be held in October 2021) | election results: results by party - NA; seats by party - NA

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: red, green, black

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 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. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance 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 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. The 2014 presidential election was the country's first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as President and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of chief executive officer. The day after the inauguration, the GHANI administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan. | Despite gains toward building a stable central government, the Taliban remains a serious challenge for the Afghan Government in almost every province. The Taliban still considers itself the rightful government of Afghanistan, and it remains a capable and confident insurgent force despite its last two spiritual leaders being killed; it continues to declare that it will pursue a peace deal with Kabul only after foreign military forces depart.

Military branches

Afghan National Security Forces: Afghan National Army, Afghan Air Force, Afghan National Police, Afghan Local Police (2016)

Military expenditures

28.09% of GDP (2016) | 4.74% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2016)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.03% (male 6,947,939/female 6,728,983) | 15-24 years: 22.49% (male 3,816,369/female 3,678,657) | 25-54 years: 30.01% (male 5,095,905/female 4,907,019) | 55-64 years: 3.9% (male 640,813/female 660,121) | 65 years and over: 2.57% (male 396,124/female 460,095) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

38.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

21.2% (2010/11)

Death rate

13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 87% | youth dependency ratio: 82.3% | elderly dependency ratio: 4.6% | potential support ratio: 21.7% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 78.2% of population | rural: 47% of population | total: 55.3% of population | urban: 21.8% of population | rural: 53% of population | total: 44.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.04% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

HIV/AIDS - deaths

300 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Health expenditures

8.2% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 46

Hospital bed density

0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 112.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 120.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 105 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.3 years | male: 49.9 years | female: 52.7 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 222

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 38.2% | male: 52% | female: 24.2% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: malaria (2016)

Major urban areas - population

KABUL (capital) 4.635 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

396 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Median age

total: 18.6 years | male: 18.5 years | female: 18.6 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.1 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)

Nationality

noun: Afghan(s) | adjective: Afghan

Net migration rate

-1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

2.4% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 182

Physicians density

0.27 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

33,332,025 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

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

Population growth rate

2.34% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 45.1% of population | rural: 27% of population | total: 31.9% of population | urban: 54.9% of population | rural: 73% of population | total: 68.1% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years | male: 13 years | female: 8 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.22 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Urbanization

urban population: 26.7% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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 counterterrorism 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

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 counterdrug 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 257,523 (Pakistan) (2015) | IDPs: 1,174,306 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and political instability) (2015)

Airports

43 (2016) | country comparison to the world: 91

Airports - with paved runways

total: 25 | over 3,047 m: 4 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 18 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 5 (2016)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YA (2016)

Heliports

9 (2013)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 4 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 20 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,929,907 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 33,102,038 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 466 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

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