Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Thin Fiscal Base, Weak Governance Scores, Dated Military Data

Afghanistan's GDP was $17.15 billion in 2023, per the World Bank's World Development Indicators, with GDP per capita of $413.76 the same year against a 2024 population estimate of 42.65 million. Government debt stood at 8.0 percent of GDP for 2025 on the IMF's World Economic Outlook — low by the standards tracked in this dataset, though this likely reflects constrained borrowing access rather than fiscal strength. Reserves data is notably dated: the $9.75 billion figure cited by the World Bank is from 2020, predating the change of government the following year, and should not be treated as a current reserves position.

Military expenditure data is also stale. SIPRI's figures put milex at $278.25 million, or 1.828 percent of GDP on SIPRI's own GDP series, for 2021 — again, a snapshot from before the government transition. That SIPRI ratio should not be checked against the World Bank's $17.15 billion GDP figure above, since the two series are drawn differently. The Correlates of War National Material Capabilities (NMC) dataset lists 100,000 active personnel and a composite index of national capability (CINC) of 0.0029 for 2022, which likewise predates this bundle's other 2023-2025 reference points and may not reflect the structure of forces today.

Governance scores are among the lowest in this dataset. V-Dem's 2025 data (v15) scores Afghanistan at 0.069 on electoral democracy, 0.018 on liberal democracy, and 0.084 on state capacity.

Energy consumption is limited: Our World in Data records primary energy use of 0.148 exajoules in 2023 and electricity generation of 0.99 terawatt-hours in 2024. Oil production is recorded as zero and gas production at 1.793 terawatt-hours, both dated to 2016.

Data gaps

Several figures here are badly out of date relative to the 2025 reference point used elsewhere in this bundle: reserves (2020), milex and its GDP share (2021), personnel and CINC (2022), and all energy production figures (2016). None of these should be read as a current picture of Afghan state capacity, finances, or military structure — they are the most recent available in their respective series, not current snapshots.

Sources: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, SIPRI Milex, COW NMC, V-Dem v15, Our World in Data (Energy).