Afghanistan Economy - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Economic overview

extremely low-income South Asian economy; import drops, currency depreciation, disappearing central bank reserves, and increasing inflation after Taliban takeover; increasing Chinese trade; hit hard by COVID; ongoing sanctions

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$60.803 billion (2021 est.)

$76.711 billion (2020 est.)

$78.558 billion (2019 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

-20.74% (2021 est.)

-2.35% (2020 est.)

3.91% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$1,500 (2021 est.)

$2,000 (2020 est.)

$2,100 (2019 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.24 billion (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (2019 est.)

0.63% (2018 est.)

4.98% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 23% (2016 est.)

industry: 21.1% (2016 est.)

services: 55.9% (2016 est.)

note: data exclude opium production

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81.6% (2016 est.)

government consumption: 12% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2016 est.)

investment in inventories: 30% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 6.7% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services: -47.6% (2016 est.)

Agricultural products

wheat, milk, grapes, vegetables, potatoes, watermelons, melons, rice, onions, apples

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

-14.19% (2021 est.)

Labor force

9.39 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 44.3%

industry: 18.1%

services: 37.6% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

13.28% (2021 est.)

11.71% (2020 est.)

11.22% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 20.2%

male: 18.6%

female: 26.4% (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

54.5% (2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

29.4 (2008)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.8%

highest 10%: 24% (2008)

Budget

revenues: $5.093 billion (2019 est.)

expenditures: $5.293 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-15.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt

7% of GDP (2017 est.)

7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Fiscal year

21 March - 20 March

Current account balance

-$3.137 billion (2020 est.)

-$3.792 billion (2019 est.)

-$3.897 billion (2018 est.)

Exports

$1.476 billion (2020 est.)

$1.516 billion (2019 est.)

$1.609 billion (2018 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

United Arab Emirates 45%, Pakistan 24%, India 22%, China 1% (2019)

Exports - commodities

gold, figs, grapes, cotton, fruits and nuts, coal (2021)

note: Afghan opium production remains a significant illicit trade export

Imports

$6.983 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.371 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.988 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

United Arab Emirates 23%, Pakistan 17%, India 13%, Uzbekistan 7%, China 9% (2021)

Imports - commodities

wheat flours, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, rolled tobacco, aircraft parts, synthetic fabrics (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$9.749 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

$8.498 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

$8.207 billion (31 December 2018 est.)

Debt - external

$284 million (FY10/11)

Exchange rates

afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

76.814 (2020 est.)

77.738 (2019 est.)

72.083 (2018 est.)

68.027 (2017 est.)

67.866 (2016 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Afghanistan on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Afghanistan 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Afghanistan 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.