Afghanistan

Afghanistan is located in the heart of Eurasia, and since time immemorial, has been at the crossroad of cultures, between the People's Republic of China and the Middle East, and between South Asia and Europe. Afghanistan's economy is primarily agrarian, thus rural life is the center of the country's socioeconomic activities. After 25 years of various conflicts, Afghanistan is now in the process of rebuilding physical infrastructures and the economic foundations of the country.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Feature
World Bank grant to revitalize the private sector: The World Bank approved a $122 million grant for the Afghanistan New Market Development Project. The project will pilot a business development program in the four major hubs of economic activity: Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Herat. View details.

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Economic Outlook

The highlight from the Asian Development Outlook 2011:
Despite deteriorating security, the economy grew steadily in 2010. Inflation increased (toward fiscal year-end), driven largely by import prices. The fiscal position continued to improve but a run on deposits at the leading private bank revealed a significant macroeconomic risk. The government presented an Afghan-led plan for development at the Kabul Conference of donors, but low implementation capacity, weak public sector governance, and perceptions of widespread corruption raise concerns over implementation. Sustainable, self-reliant growth requires significant improvements in security, progress in the Afghan-led reconciliation process, and a better private sector environment. Read more.


Source: Ministry of Finance.

More economic and social indicators for Afghanistan from the World Bank's World Development Indicators online.


Human Development

The United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report program has prepared a series of reports on Afghanistan.


Partner Institutions and Afghanistan

 

© Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute 2009