Most Afghans voice profound concern about the pervasive poverty in the country. They assert that ongoing poverty compounds feelings of despair in every sphere of life and caution that Afghanistan could face even graver calamities if the situation persists. They argue that escalating poverty and entrenched crises have been overlooked amidst political entanglements and regional tensions. Many who have visited remote areas of Afghanistan recount gripping accounts of people’s struggles. Despite security risks preventing them from speaking openly, they carry poignant stories of the populace’s severe hardships.
Persistent unemployment has drastically reduced people’s purchasing power, with over 91% of families spending only on daily sustenance. Continuous unemployment, along with declining purchasing power, has exacerbated deflation and reduced the country’s imports. Nevertheless, many citizens argue that instead of investing in improving people’s lives, the Taliban regime channels resources into fostering fundamentalism and supporting terrorist groups. However, the World Bank warns in its recent report that Afghanistan’s economy faces a bleak future.
Many people in various provinces of the country complain about their deteriorating living conditions and collapsing economy. They say they grow poorer every day and lose hope for a better life and future. Some individuals interviewed for this report confirm that continued poverty will strip them of their ability to fight for survival. They warn that without the creation of job opportunities, a humanitarian catastrophe will ensue.
These residents argue that regional tensions and political challenges have overshadowed Afghanistan’s poverty crisis. They express concern over Afghanistan’s marginalization and stress the need for accurate and timely reporting to reflect the disastrous situation. They emphasize that tension in the region should not prolong the Taliban’s rule.
Baz Mohammad, who claims to have spent a lifetime in poverty and hardship, says he has never witnessed such a dire situation before. He recalls a time when even the poorest had a neighbor willing to share bread, but now everyone is in the same predicament.
“This is the first time in my life that I see such poverty,” he adds. “I have experienced poverty throughout my life, but it used to be different. Even when we were poor, our neighbors had bread. Today, both the king and the beggar are on the same level.”
Some residents of rural areas also lament the lack of food and hope for survival. They claim that for months, their meals consist of little more than dry bread and a glass of tea.
Sharifullah, from Ghor province, expresses his distress: “We’re too impoverished to even afford a piece of dry bread. We struggle to put a meal on the table each month. Even when aid comes, half of it is siphoned off by middlemen, and the rest never reaches those in need because of the Taliban. There are no job opportunities. Many young people head to Iran, only to be sent back hungry and thirsty.”
Some employees of international and domestic organizations who have traveled to various parts of Afghanistan also describe the people’s economic situation as grim and worsening day by day.
Ferdows (pseudonym), a senior employee of an international organization, shares with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “Poverty is truly devastating. The situation is so concerning and painful that words fail to describe it. When you see people, your heart goes out to them. There’s no sign of welfare or basic services; everyone is just trying to survive. A relief organization staff member is a sight for sore eyes.”
The organization employee discusses Taliban extortion of humanitarian aid, saying, “From the average person to a high-ranking Taliban member, they all want a cut. They openly demand it without hesitation. Organizations are compelled to pay them off to continue their operations. The Taliban establish NGOs and insist that organizations allocate projects to their affiliated NGOs.”
Meanwhile, the World Bank recently stated that Afghanistan’s economic outlook remains uncertain, with the risk of recession at least until 2025. According to the bank, the lack of growth in gross domestic product (GDP) coupled with reduced sources of foreign financing for off-budget expenditures paints a bleak picture of the country’s economic outlook.
The bank added that structural deficiencies in the private sector, coupled with reduced international support for essential services, hinder any significant economic progress. According to the World Bank, this economic recession will exacerbate poverty and unemployment, potentially reducing job opportunities and increasing food insecurity.
The World Bank emphasized that Afghanistan’s long-term economic growth outlook depends on a significant shift from reliance on international aid and consumption-driven growth to a more flexible economy managed by the private sector. According to the bank, Afghanistan must focus on its relative advantages, especially in the agriculture and mining sectors, for a sustainable future. The bank added that agriculture could be a key driver of growth and poverty reduction in Afghanistan, as this sector can create jobs.
According to the World Bank, strategic investments in irrigation infrastructure, land ownership security, research, and market access are needed to realize this potential and increase agricultural productivity. The World Bank emphasizes the need to support private investment to strengthen human capital and create the necessary organizational frameworks for a conducive business environment.
The World Bank has emphasized that the continuous reduction in prices and economic activity in Afghanistan remains “stagnant.” According to the World Bank report, Afghanistan has experienced a continuously recessionary economy without real GDP growth from 2023 to 2025, resulting in the country’s per capita income remaining at the 2022 level by 2025. The World Bank states that the decrease in demand has led to a significant reduction in inflation.
The latest World Bank report states that the overall inflation rate decreased by 9.7 percent (negative 4.4 percent in food and negative 4.4 percent in non-food items) in February 2024. According to the bank, the overall inflation rate has decreased by 3 percent.
Simultaneously with the increase in poverty, people’s purchasing power has also significantly decreased, and citizens are not seeking to buy goods and services. Some citizens accuse the Taliban regime of diverting national resources and wealth to support terrorist organizations instead of investing in improving people’s lives and providing welfare services.
According to their claims, over the past nearly three years, the Taliban have spent millions of dollars on building jihadist schools, where suicide, military training, bomb-making, and mine-laying are practically taught.
A resident of Kunduz province, who prefers to remain anonymous, states that the atmosphere is tilting towards the escalation of religious fundamentalism. Each religious cleric and Taliban official builds a madrasa and forcibly gathers money from the people and merchants, besides the fixed amounts received from the office of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban supreme leader.
The Kunduz resident adds: “The curriculum of religious schools, especially jihad schools, is not clear. They brainwash adolescents and may even provide suicide training. In any case, this situation is alarming.”
Previously, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), expressed concern at a meeting of the UN Security Council about the lack of accurate information about the status of Taliban religious schools, stating: “The Taliban do not allow any oversight of these madrasas, and we do not know what they are teaching there.”
On the other hand, “Samaa TV,” a Pakistani media outlet, citing a report from the government bank of Pakistan, has reported that the decrease in Pakistan’s food exports to Afghanistan and a 76 percent decrease in exports in 2023 have exacerbated the economic problems of the country. According to this media outlet, inflation reached a record 10.2 percent in January 2024, exacerbating financial pressure on citizens.
This media outlet, citing the Taliban-controlled National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA), has written that Afghanistan’s exports decreased by $39.9 million between February and March 2024, while imports decreased by $99.2 million during the same period.
It’s noteworthy that the International Rescue Committee (IRC) previously reported that 91 percent of household income in Afghanistan goes towards food, and 17.2 million people in the country face severe food insecurity.