Economy of Afghanistan
Afghan Ministry of Finance in Kabul in 2002
|
|
| Currency | Afghani (AFN) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | |
|
Trade organizations
|
SAARC, ECO, negotiating SCO and WTO accession |
| Statistics | |
| GDP | $33.55 billion (2012 est.) $69 billion (PPP) (2014 est.) |
| GDP rank | 108th (nominal) / 96th (PPP) |
|
GDP growth
|
3.2% (2014 est.) |
|
GDP per capita
|
$2,000 (PPP - 2016) |
|
GDP by sector
|
agriculture: 20% industry: 25.6% services: 54.4% (2011 est.) |
| 4.7% (2014 est.) | |
|
Population below poverty line
|
35% (2009) |
|
Labor force
|
7.512 million (2012 est.) |
|
Labor force by occupation
|
agriculture 78.6%, industry 5.7%, services 15.7% (2009) |
| Unemployment | 38% (2008) |
|
Main industries
|
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper |
| 183rd (2017) | |
| External | |
| Exports | $ 2.76 billion (2013 est.) |
|
Export goods
|
opium, fruits and nuts, Afghan rugs, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, and gemstone |
|
Main export partners
|
 India 42.2% Pakistan 28.9% Tajikistan 7.6% (2015) |
| Imports | $6.39 billion (2012 est.) |
|
Import goods
|
machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles and petroleum products |
|
Main import partners
|
Pakistan 38.6% India 8.9% United States 8.3% Turkmenistan 6.2% China 6% Kazakhstan 5.9% Azerbaijan 4.9% (2015) |
| Public finances | |
| $1.28 billion (FY10/11) | |
| Revenues | $1.58 billion |
| Expenses | $50.000 billion |
The economy of Afghanistan has improved significantly since 2002 due to the infusion of billions of dollars in international assistance and investments, as well as remittances from Afghan expatriates. The help that came from expatriates and outside investments saw this significant increase when there was more political reliability after the fall of the many terrorist groups in the early 2000s such as the Taliban. The recent improvement is also due to dramatic improvements in agricultural production and the end of a four-year drought in most of the country.
The government of Afghanistan claims that the country holds up to $3 trillion in proven untapped mineral deposits, which could make it one of the richest mining regions on earth. However, due to the conflicts, it remains one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 175th on the United Nations' Human Development Index. The nation's GDP stands at about $34 billion with an exchange rate of $19.85 billion, and the GDP per capita is about $1,150.
About 35% of its population is unemployed and 36% live below the national poverty line, suffering from shortages of housing, clean drinking water, and electricity. The Karzai administration along with international donors have remained committed to improving access to these basic necessities by prioritizing infrastructure development, education, housing development, jobs programs, medical care, and economic reform. Afghanistan is the poorest country in Eurasia.
Historically, there has been a lack of information and reliable statistics about Afghanistan's economy. In the early modern period under the rule of kings Abdur Rahman Khan (1880–1901) and Habibullah Khan (1901–1919), a great deal of Afghan commerce was centrally controlled by the Afghan government. The Afghan monarchs were eager to develop the stature of government and the country's military capability, and so attempted to raise money by the imposition of state monopolies on the sale of commodities and high taxes. This slowed the long-term development of Afghanistan during that period. Western technologies and manufacturing methods were slowly introduced during these eras at the command of the Afghan ruler, but in general only according to the logistical requirements of the growing army. An emphasis was placed on the manufacture of weapons and other military materiel. This process was in the hands of a small number of western experts invited to Kabul by the Afghan kings. Otherwise, it was not possible for outsiders, particularly westerners, to set up large-scale enterprises in Afghanistan during that period.
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Wikipedia