Afghanistan Military - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

the Taliban has established a de facto ministry of defense and a national army (aka Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate Army, or Afghan Army); it has also formed a ministry of interior with a subordinate police force (2023)

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)

Military and security service personnel strengths

announced that approximately 130,000 personnel had been recruited for a new "National Army"; also announced that over 50,000 personnel had been trained for the police force under the ministry of interior (2022)

note: as of 2022, there were also up to 10,000 foreign fighters in Afghanistan, most of whom were aligned with the Taliban

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Taliban military/security forces are armed largely with US-provided equipment captured from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces when the central government in Kabul collapsed in 2021 (2022)

Military service age and obligation

not available

note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan Government security forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches 

Military - note

the Taliban’s primary security threats include ISIS-Khorasan and anti-Taliban resistance elements known as the National Resistance Front and Afghanistan Freedom Front (2023)

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.