Almost 40 years of conflict has left Afghanistan one of the poorest and most fragile countries in the world. Creating a more stable environment will help reduce poverty and make progress towards the Global Goals. It will also reduce threats to the UK from violence and extremism, and discourage illegal migration. The challenges are acute, with more than half of all Afghans living below the poverty line and over 2.5 million returning refugees or internally displaced people expected in 2018. High poverty rates reflect the challenges of limited economic growth, an increased population and deteriorating security, alongside decades of poverty, conflict and instability.

FCDO Profile

Note: Many country summaries were written prior to the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and are being incrementally refreshed.