poverty in Afghanistan

FILE: Afghan families rest under makeshift shelters at the Islam Qala crossing on July 4, 2025. (Photo: Council on Foreign Relations)

Afghanistan’s living standards decline after half-decade of Taliban rule

Household incomes have fallen as poverty and hunger deepen, while access to education, clean water and sanitation worsens, leaving millions struggling to meet basic needs.

4 DAYS AGO

Afghan internally displaced children stand near temporary tents along a river in the Marawara district of Kunar province on April 12, 2026. (AFP)

Afghan families sell livestock and pull children from school to survive: NGOs

Rising fertilizer and fuel costs, fewer job opportunities and weaker livestock prices are squeezing household incomes, while flooding and insect infestations threaten farms and infrastructure across Afghanistan.

August 9, 2026

Afghan markets remain stocked but poverty leaves 22 million unable to buy

In analyses published by humanitarian agencies, Afghanistan’s markets remain stocked, but collapsing incomes, aid cuts and Taliban restrictions have left nearly 22 million people food insecure, with one-quarter of the population in crisis and median monthly incomes at 8,100 Afghanis.

January 29, 2026