Source
Central bank

Bank of Afghanistan

International Reserves

USD 8.2 billion (2018)

World Bank, data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 19.6 billion (2018, estimate)

Source
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 72.7 billion (2018)

Source
Real GDP growth
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2.7% 1.0% 2.2% 2.7% 2.3%

*Estimate

Source
GDP per capita - current prices

USD 543.7 (2018, estimate)

Source
GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 2,016.9 (2018, estimate)

Source
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
0.05% (2019, estimate)
 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 20.5% 
  • industry: 22.1% 
  • services: 52.7%

(2017)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-0.7% 4.4% 5% 0.6% 2.6%

*2019 Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
9.1% 7.8% 7.5% 6.9% 7.5%

*2019 Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-1.4% 0.1% -0.6% 1.5% -0.8%

*2019 Estimate 

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD 1.8 billion (2018 estimate) 

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

9.1 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

5.9% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.004% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.008% (2018)

Total exports

USD 1.6 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs

Total imports

USD 8.3 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Exports - major partners

India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017)

Imports - major partners

China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3%(2017)

FDI inflows
2016  2017 2018
USD 94 million USD 53 million USD 139 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 14.8 million USD 10.8 million USD 6.4 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

173 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 52 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 183 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 173 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 186 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 104 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 140 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 178 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 177 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 181 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 76 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 152 / Score: 51.5 (Mostly unfree)

Source: The Heritage Foundation– 2019 Index of Economic Freedom

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+4.5

Total area

652,230 sq km

Capital

Kabul

Currency

Afghanis (AFA) 

Government type

Presidential Islamic republic

Languages

Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 77% (Dari functions as the lingua franca)

Pashto (official) 48%

Uzbek 11%

English 6%

Turkmen 3%

Urdu 3%

Pashayi 1%

Nuristani 1%

Arabic 1%

Balochi 1% (

2017 est.)

Religions

Muslim: 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%)

Other: 0.3%

(2009 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
N/A N/A 28.398 million 33.74 million 37 million

*Estimate   

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2020
8.4% 16% 22.1% 25.5%
Population median age

19 years 

Population growth rate

2.37% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

51.2 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 38.2% 
Male: 52% 
Female: 24.2%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

N/A

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

Freedom House rating

Not Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 6 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 0.3% Mobile: 59.1% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

13.5% (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

CO2 emissions

0.29 metric tons per capita (2014)

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