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, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend 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. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $67 billion at four donors' conferences since 2002, 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.81 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

$27.38 billion (2009 est.)
$22.34 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP (purchasing power parity) country ranks ]
GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.63 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6

22.5% (2009 est.)
3.4% (2008 est.)
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
GDP - per capita:
$1,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213

$1,000 (2009 est.)
$800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 26%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - industry country ranks ]
services: 43%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - services country ranks ]
note: data exclude opium production (2008 est.)

Labor force:
15 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 78.6%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 5.7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
35% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

40% (2005 est.)
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
Population below poverty line:
36% (FY08/09)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.3 billion
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: Afghanistan has also received $2.6 billion from the Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order Trust Fund (FY09/10 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

20.7% (2008 est.)
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48

14.92% (31 December 2008 est.)
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
Stock of narrow money:
$3.943 billion (31 December 2009)

$2.819 billion (31 December 2008)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
Stock of broad money:
$4.149 billion (31 December 2009)

$2.915 billion (31 December 2008)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
Stock of domestic credit:
$363.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

$20.06 million (31 December 2007 est.)
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

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

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Electricity - production:
285.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
[see also: Electricity - production country ranks ]

Electricity - consumption:
231.1 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
[see also: Electricity - consumption country ranks ]

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
[see also: Electricity - exports country ranks ]

Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
[see also: Electricity - imports country ranks ]

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Oil - production country ranks ]

Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Oil - consumption country ranks ]

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
[see also: Oil - exports country ranks ]

Oil - imports:
4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Oil - imports country ranks ]

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Oil - proved reserves country ranks ]

Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Natural gas - production country ranks ]

Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
[see also: Natural gas - consumption country ranks ]

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Natural gas - exports country ranks ]

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Natural gas - imports country ranks ]

Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Natural gas - proved reserves country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$2.475 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160

$85 million (2008 est.)
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
Exports:
$547 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

$603 million (2008 est.); note - not including illicit exports or reexports
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners:
US 26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan 17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51% (2009)

Imports:
$5.3 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

$4.5 billion (2007)
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
Imports - commodities:
machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Pakistan 26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%, Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04% (2009)

Debt - external:
$2.7 billion (2008/2009)
country comparison to the world: 134

$8 billion (2004)
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50.23 (2009), 50.25 (2008), 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004)