Overview:
- Summary Table 2007, US Congressional Research Service
- Afghanistan Human Development Reports: 2004; 2007
- UNDP Human Development Reports: 2007; 2009
- Backgrounder: Afghanistan: Reconstruction and Development (2007), Parliamentary Information and Research Service- Library of Parliament Canada
- Jo Beall and Stefan Schutte, Urban Livelihoods in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, August 2006
For more information, see also the Monitor's posts on education, health, resources, and women.
Updated: April 2010
HDI Data and Indicators
Human Development Index Value in 2007: 0.352
Life expectancy at birth (years) in 2007: 42.6
Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and above), 1999-2007: 28.0
Combined gross enrolment ratio in education (%) in 2007: 50.1
GDP per capita (PPP US$) in 2007: 1,054
Life expectancy index 2007: 0.310
Education index in 2007: 0.354
GDP Index in 2007: 0.393
GDP per capita rank minus HDI rank in 2007: -17
2007 HDI rank : 181 out of 182 countries for “low human development”
Click here to view Afghanistan country factsheet.
Source: Human Development Report 2009
General/Demographics
Total Population (Millions):
1990: 12.6
2007: 26.3
2020 projection: 39.6
Rate of natural increase of population (%):
1990 to 1995: 2.9
2005-2010 projection: 2.7
Urban population (% of total):
1990: 18.3
2010 projection: 24.8
Source: Human Development Report 2009
Health:
Life expectancy at birth (years) in 2007:Male: 43.6
Female: 43.5
Average: 43.6
Public expenditure on health:
Per capita PPP US$ 2006: 8
% of total government expenditure 2006: 4.4
Healthy life expectancy at birth (years) in 2007: 36
Unhealthy life expectancy as a % of total life expectancy in 2007: 17
Total fertility rate (births per woman):
1990-1995: 8.0
2005-2010: 6.6
Source: Human Development Report 2009
Education:
Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and above) from 1999-2007:
Male: 43.1
Female: 12.6
Average: 28.0
Combined gross enrolment ratio in education (%) in 2007:
Male: 63.6
Female: 35.4
Average: 50.1
Source: Human Development Report 2009
Gender:
Seats in parliament held by women (% of total): 26
Ratio of estimated female to male earned income: 0.24
Women in ministerial positions (% of total): 4
"Women with tertiary degrees are at least 40 percent more likely than male graduates to emigrate to OECD countries from a wide range of countries, including Afghanistan, Croatia, Ghana, Guatemala, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. While this could reflect various factors, structural and/or cultural barriers to professional achievement at home seem the most likely explanation."
Source: Human Development Report 2009
Natural Resources
- Non-fuel Mineral Deposits (U.S. Geological Survey)
- Oil and Natural Gas (Energy Information Administration)
