Afghanistan
Past, Present and Future

A Brief History

Afghanistan's 20 years under the Islamic Republic brought large but fragile and heavily aid-funded gains in schooling, health, media and women's public life. In five years of Taliban rule since August 2021, the gains in rights, education, media and political participation have mostly been reversed. A few indicators have stabilised or improved: battlefield violence, opium cultivation, inflation, the exchange rate and domestic revenue collection. Living standards per person, however, have not recovered.

This page gives a factual overview of Afghanistan's recent history, key developments and current situation, based on published sources.