Content
Asia
Surface area
Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.
Ranking Human Development Index (HDI)
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes a Human Development Report once a year. The Human Development Index (HDI) contained in the Report records average figures for a country in fundamentally important fields of human development. These include, for example, life expectancy at birth, level of education and per capita income. From a large number of such individual indicators a ranking is calculated. Using this ranking it is possible to establish the average development status of a particular country.
Population living in rural areas (% of total)
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.
Population growth rate
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
Population ages 65 and above (% of total)
Population ages 0-14 (% of total)
Volume of German development cooperation per annum
Funds for development cooperation per year (Technical and Financial Cooperation) committed by the Federal Republic of Germany under intergovernmental agreements.
Total amount of ODA received
Net official development assistance (ODA) consists of disbursements of loans made on concessional terms (net of repayments of principal) and grants by official agencies of the members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), by multilateral institutions, and by non-DAC countries to promote economic development and welfare in countries and territories in the DAC list of ODA recipients. It includes loans with a grant element of at least 25 percent (calculated at a rate of discount of 10 percent). Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Amount of ODA received per capita
Net official development assistance (ODA) per capita consists of disbursements of loans made on concessional terms (net of repayments of principal) and grants by official agencies of the members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), by multilateral institutions, and by non-DAC countries to promote economic development and welfare in countries and territories in the DAC list of ODA recipients; and is calculated by dividing net ODA received by the midyear population estimate. It includes loans with a grant element of at least 25 percent (calculated at a rate of discount of 10 percent). Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Undernutrition
Population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption (also referred to as prevalence of undernourishment) shows the percentage of the population whose food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. Data showing as 2.5 signifies a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.
Population living below the national poverty line (% of total)
National poverty rate is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.
Population living in absolute poverty (% of total)
Population below $1.25 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.25 a day at 2005 international prices.
Children who complete primary school (% of total)
Primary completion rate is the percentage of students completing the last year of primary school. It is calculated by taking the total number of students in the last grade of primary school, minus the number of repeaters in that grade, divided by the total number of children of official graduation age.
When using this method of calculation the result may be greater than 100 per cent for some countries. This just means that the number of children completing their primary school education in that particular school year was higher than the number of children who were of official school leaving age.
Proportion of school age children attending primary school
Net enrollment ratio is the ratio of children of official school age based on the International Standard Classification of Education 1997 who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.
Literacy rate
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.
Public spending on education
Public expenditure on education consists of current and capital public expenditure on education includes government spending on educational institutions (both public and private), education administration as well as subsidies for private entities (students/households and other privates entities).
Number of pupils per teacher at primary school level
Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the number of pupils enrolled in primary school divided by the number of primary school teachers (regardless of their teaching assignment).
Immunization, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) (% of children ages 12-23 months)
Child immunization measures the percentage of children ages 12-23 months who received vaccinations before 12 months or at any time before the survey. A child is considered adequately immunized against diphtheria, pertussis (or whooping cough), and tetanus (DPT) after receiving three doses of vaccine.
Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total)
Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.
Pregnant women receiving prenatal care (%)
Pregnant women receiving prenatal care are the percentage of women attended at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel for reasons related to pregnancy.
Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates.
Number of mothers who die during pregnancy or childbirth (per 100,000 live births)
Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth, per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on fertility, birth attendants, and HIV prevalence.
HIV/AIDS prevalence among the 15-49 age group
Prevalence of HIV refers to the percentage of people ages 15-49 who are infected with HIV.
Public health spending as a percentage of gross domestic product
Public health expenditure consists of recurrent and capital spending from government (central and local) budgets, external borrowings and grants (including donations from international agencies and nongovernmental organizations), and social (or compulsory) health insurance funds.
Roads, paved (% of total roads)
Paved roads are those surfaced with crushed stone (macadam) and hydrocarbon binder or bituminized agents, with concrete, or with cobblestones, as a percentage of all the country's roads, measured in length.
Internet users (per 100 inhabitants)
Internet users are people with access to the worldwide network.
Passenger cars (per 1,000 people)
Passenger cars refer to road motor vehicles, other than two-wheelers, intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine people (including the driver).
Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)
Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service using cellular technology, which provide access to the public switched telephone network. Post-paid and prepaid subscriptions are included.
Percentage of the population with sustainable access to safe drinking water
Access to an improved water source refers to the percentage of the population with reasonable access to an adequate amount of water from an improved source, such as a household connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected well or spring, and rainwater collection. Unimproved sources include vendors, tanker trucks, and unprotected wells and springs. Reasonable access is defined as the availability of at least 20 liters a person a day from a source within one kilometer of the dwelling.
Improved sanitation facilities (% of population with access)
Access to an improved water source refers to the percentage of the population with reasonable access to an adequate amount of water from an improved source, such as a household connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected well or spring, and rainwater collection. Unimproved sources include vendors, tanker trucks, and unprotected wells and springs. Reasonable access is defined as the availability of at least 20 liters a person a day from a source within one kilometer of the dwelling.
Land under cultivation (% of total land area)
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.
Land classified as conservation areas (% of total land area)
Terrestrial protected areas are those officially documented by national authorities.
Forested land (% of total land area)
Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.
Level of carbon emissions per capita (in tons)
Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement. They include carbon dioxide produced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring.
Power consumption per inhabitant
Electric power consumption measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants.
Jobs in agriculture (% of total)
Employees are people who work for a public or private employer and receive remuneration in wages, salary, commission, tips, piece rates, or pay in kind. Agriculture corresponds to division 1 (ISIC revision 2) or tabulation categories A and B (ISIC revision 3) and includes hunting, forestry, and fishing.
Energy imports (% of total energy consumption)
Net energy imports are estimated as energy use less production, both measured in oil equivalents. A negative value indicates that the country is a net exporter. Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.
Child labour (% of children aged 7 to 14)
Economically active children refer to children involved in economic activity for at least one hour in the reference week of the survey.
Unemployment rate
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment are the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors. Data are in current U.S. Dollars.
Total foreign debt
Total external debt is debt owed to non-residents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
GNI (current US$)
GNI (formerly GNP) is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad. Data are in current U.S. dollars. GNI, calculated in national currency, is usually converted to U.S. dollars at official exchange rates for comparisons across economies, although an alternative rate is used when the official exchange rate is judged to diverge by an exceptionally large margin from the rate actually applied in international transactions. To smooth fluctuations in prices and exchange rates, a special Atlas method of conversion is used by the World Bank. This applies a conversion factor that averages the exchange rate for a given year and the two preceding years, adjusted for differences in rates of inflation between the country, and through 2000, the G-5 countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States). From 2001, these countries include the Euro area, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
GNI per capita (current US$)
GNI per capita (formerly GNP per capita) is the gross national income, converted to U.S. dollars using the World Bank Atlas method, divided by the midyear population. GNI is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad. GNI, calculated in national currency, is usually converted to U.S. dollars at official exchange rates for comparisons across economies, although an alternative rate is used when the official exchange rate is judged to diverge by an exceptionally large margin from the rate actually applied in international transactions. To smooth fluctuations in prices and exchange rates, a special Atlas method of conversion is used by the World Bank. This applies a conversion factor that averages the exchange rate for a given year and the two preceding years, adjusted for differences in rates of inflation between the country, and through 2000, the G-5 countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States). From 2001, these countries include the Euro area, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Exports of goods and services (% of GDP)
Exports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services provided to the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.
Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)
Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.
Inflation
Inflation as measured by the consumer price index reflects the annual percentage change in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals, such as yearly. The Laspeyres formula is generally used.
Debt service as percentage of exports of goods and services and net income from abroad
Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in foreign currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF. Exports of goods and services includes income and workers' remittances.
Industry, value added (% of GDP)
Industry corresponds to ISIC divisions 10-45 and includes manufacturing (ISIC divisions 15-37). It comprises value added in mining, manufacturing (also reported as a separate subgroup), construction, electricity, water, and gas. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3.
Agriculture, value added (% of GDP)
Agriculture corresponds to ISIC divisions 1-5 and includes forestry, hunting, and fishing, as well as cultivation of crops and livestock production. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3.
Services, etc., value added (% of GDP)
Services correspond to ISIC divisions 50-99 and they include value added in wholesale and retail trade (including hotels and restaurants), transport, and government, financial, professional, and personal services such as education, health care, and real estate services. Also included are imputed bank service charges, import duties, and any statistical discrepancies noted by national compilers as well as discrepancies arising from rescaling. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The industrial origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3.
GDP growth (annual %)
Annual percentage growth rate of GDP at market prices based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources
Afghanistan can look back on an eventful history. Influenced by many different cultures – from Alexander the Great's Hellenistic civilisation to Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam – many empires have formed over the course of centuries on the territory of what is now Afghanistan. As part of the Silk Road, the country was integrated into international and long-distance trade early on. In the 19th century, Afghanistan was established as a nation state within its present borders. At that time, rivals Great Britain and Russia fought for control of the region. The British finally gained the upper hand and established a protectorate at the end of the 19th century. Afghanistan gained independence in 1919. In the face of competition from traditional power structures, the structures of a modern state have been slow to develop in Afghanistan. However, by the mid-20th century, an urban society and economy had developed in the towns and cities, and the Afghan state had consolidated its claim to power throughout the country.
However, a violent uprising in 1978, known as the April Revolution, sparked a civil war in which in late 1979 the then Soviet Union intervened on the government's side and invaded Afghanistan. Ten years of guerrilla warfare then followed, with Afghan resistance fighters, the Mujahidin, backed primarily by the US and Pakistan, on one side and the Afghan government backed by the Soviet Army on the other. But even the withdrawal of the Soviet troops in 1989 did not bring peace: the civil war waged by the Mujahidin against the Afghan government continued.
In 1992, the Mujahidin captured Kabul and proclaimed an Islamic state. It was not long, however, before rival Mujahidin groups were fighting each other. Kabul was destroyed, and Afghanistan was split into zones of influence, ruled over by several different warlords. Against this backdrop, a new movement of radical Islamists formed – the Taliban. In 1996, the Taliban occupied Kabul and began to impose their particular ideas of authority. Until the end of the 1990s, the Mujahidin, which had joined forces in the so-called Northern Alliance, were pushed back into a small area on the country's north-eastern border. After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, an international alliance, led by the US, overthrew the Taliban regime.
In 2001, after 23 years of war, the country was left with hundreds of thousands dead, some 7 million refugees, an infrastructure that was completely devastated, and extreme poverty.
New beginning in 2001
Since 2001, the Afghan government and the international community have been facing the enormous challenge of creating and consolidating lasting peace in Afghanistan. Economic, social and political structures must be restored or established for the first time.
The foundations for the political reconstruction of the country were laid at the end of 2001 at a conference held on the Petersberg just outside Bonn. Since then, the main democratic institutions have been put in place, and the general political climate has become considerably more favourable for women. Afghanistan now has a constitution that gives women and girls the same rights as men and boys and ensures that women are represented in parliament. Afghan civil society and the media have experienced dynamic development. Since 2001, major progress has also been achieved in the economic and social spheres: the Afghan economy has been achieving double-digit annual average growth rates, child mortality has decreased significantly, and the number of boys and girls in school has increased eightfold – to mention just a few examples. The poor security situation gives cause for concern, however; it is making it difficult to secure and build on the successes achieved and to make further progress on economic and social development across the country.
Relations between Afghanistan and Germany
Afghan-German relations have a long and positive history, reaching back to the start of the 20th century. The two countries have a tradition of close cooperation in many areas. Germany is now home to almost 90,000 people of Afghan origin.
The German government is playing an important role in the country's reconstruction. This involvement will probably have to be maintained for a long time in order to safeguard the new beginning in Afghanistan.
Germany is pursuing an integrated approach which consists of civilian and military assistance. This also includes sending troops to Afghanistan. Some 5,000 men and women of the German armed forces are currently serving as members of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), helping to secure peace in Afghanistan and train the Afghan security forces. This helps to create a secure environment for reconstruction and development.
In January 2012, the German Bundestag extended the mandate for the ISAF mission of the German armed forces in Afghanistan by a further year. For the first time since the start of the mission, the number of German troops deployed in Afghanistan went from 5,350 down to 4,900. Moreover, it is the intention of Germany's federal government to reduce troops further to 4,400 by the end of this mandate, provided that the situation allows and the reduction will not place the remaining troops in danger or jeopardise the viability of the handover.
Development cooperation
Development cooperation between Afghanistan and Germany focuses on the following priority areas: good governance, energy, drinking water, sustainable economic development, basic education and vocational training. Good governance is a priority area which includes the promotion of the rule of law and human rights, in particular to improve the situation of women and girls, and the promotion of peace building mechanisms.
German Embassy
German Embassy in Afghanistan
Wazir Akbar Khan, Mena 6
Kabul
Afghanistan
Phone: +93 / 20 / 210 15 12
