STATISTICS: AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan Official name{1}: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Persian and Pashtu long-form names, n.a.). Form of government: Islamic emirate. Head of state and government: Leader of the faithful{2}. Capital: Kabul. Official languages: Pashto; Dari (Persian). Official religion: Islam. Monetary unit: 1 afghani (Af) = 100 puls (puli); valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = Af 4,750; 1 = Af 8,087. Demography Population (1998): 24,792,000{3}. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 98.4, persons per sq km 38.0. Urban-rural (1995): urban 20.0%; rural 80.0%. Sex distribution (1997): male 51.50%; female 48.50%. Age breakdown (1997): under 15, 43.0%; 15-29, 27.4%; 30-44, 16.2%; 45-59, 8.9%; 60-74, 3.8%; 75 and over, 0.7%. Population projection: (2000) 26,668,000; (2010) 34,098,000. Doubling time: 24 years. Ethnic composition (early 1990{3}): Pashtun 38%; Tajik 25%; Hazara 19%; Uzbek 6%; Chahar Aimak, Turkmen, Balochi, and other 12%. Religious affiliation (1990): Sunni Muslim 84%; Shi'i Muslim 15%; other 1%. Major cities (1988): Kabul 700,000{4}; Kandahar (Qandahar) 225,500; Herat 177,300; Mazar-e Sharif 130,600. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 43.0 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 18.0 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 25.0 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 6.1. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 46.4 years; female 45.2 years. National economy Budget (1987-88). Revenue: Af 79,800,000,000. Expend.: Af 105,800,000,000. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$5,666,000,000 (U.S.$250 per capita). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1993): U.S.$5,381,000,000. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1997): wheat 1,700,000, corn (maize) 360,000, grapes 330,000, rice 300,000, potatoes 235,000, barley 180,000, almonds 9,000, opium poppy 600-3,000; livestock (number of live animals) 14,300,000 sheep, 2,200,000 goats, 1,500,000 cattle, 300,000 horses, 265,000 camels; roundwood (1995) 7,680,000 cu m; fish catch (1994) 1,300. Mining and quarrying (1995): salt 13,000; copper 5,000; gypsum 3,000; barite 2,000. Manufacturing (by production value in Af '000,000; 1988-89): food products 4,019; leather and fur products 2,678; textiles 1,760; printing and publishing 1,070; industrial chemicals (including fertilizers) 1,053; footwear 999. Construction (Af '000,000; 1985): 1,094. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 687,000,000 (815,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) 6,000 (6,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (280,000); natural gas (cu m; 1994) 175,032,000 (175,032,000). Population economically active (1994){5}: total 5,557,000; activity rate of total population 29.4% (participation rates: female 9.0%; unemployed 3.4%). Tourism: receipts (1993) U.S.$1,000,000; expenditures (1987) U.S.$1,000,000. Land use (1994): forested 2.9%; meadows and pastures 46.0%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 12.4%; other 38.7%. Foreign trade{6} Imports (1994): U.S.$602,000,000 (1989-90; machinery 37.7%, basic manufactures 18.3%, minerals and fuels 10.9%). Major import sources (1994): Japan 14.4%; Singapore 7.1%; China 5.2%; India 5.0%; Pakistan 4.6%. Exports (1994): U.S.$296,000,000 (1992; dried fruits and nuts 51.3%, carpets and rugs 13.1%, karakul wool and hides 4.9%, cotton 1.4%). Major export destinations (1994): Belgium-Luxembourg 3.8%; Pakistan 3.7%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1995): length 25 km. Roads (1995): total length 21,000 km (paved 13%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 34,000; trucks and buses 31,000. Merchant marine: none. Air transport (1993): passenger-km 197,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 11,000,000{7}; airports (1996) 3. Education and health Educational attainment (1980). Population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 88.5%; some primary education 6.8%; complete primary 0.3%; some secondary 1.2%; postsecondary 3.2%. Literacy (1995): Total population age 15 and over literate 31.5%; males 47.2%; females 15.0%. Health (1988-93): physicians 2,347 (1 per 6,690 persons); hospital beds 5,331 (1 per 2,945 persons); infant mortality rate (1997) 147.0. Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 1,523 (vegetable products 89%, animal products 11%); 62% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1996): no identifiable military units appear to represent the central government. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1990): 15.0% (world 4.4%); per capita expenditure U.S.$29. {1} Taleban gained effective control of nearly the entire country in August 1998. {2} Title of the supreme leader of the Taleban. {3} Including Afghan refugees estimated to number about 1.1 million in Pakistan and about 1.4 million in Iran. {4} 1993 estimate. {5} Based on settled population only; unemployed data is 1990. {6} Exports are f.o.b. and imports are c.i.f. {7} 1992.