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CIA World Factbook 2022-2023
CIA World Factbook 2022-2023
CIA World Factbook 2022-2023
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CIA World Factbook 2022-2023

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The ultimate, comprehensive guide to official country data and statistics, from the world’s most sophisticated intelligence-gathering organization.

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2022-2023 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world's nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with data on countries' politics, populations, economics, and environment for 2022 and looks ahead to 2023.

The CIA World Factbook 2022-2023 includes the following for each country:
  • Geopolitical maps
  • Population statistics, with details on languages, religions, literacy rates, age structure, HIV prevalence, and much more
  • Up-to-date data on military expenditures and capabilities
  • Geography information, including climate and natural hazards
  • Details on prominent political figures and parties
  • Contact information for diplomatic missions
  • Facts on transportation, trade, and communication infrastructure

Also included are appendices with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, terror organizations, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials and policymakers as well as the broader intelligence community, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and anyone with a desire to know more about their world.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherSkyhorse
Release dateJun 21, 2022
ISBN9781510771192
CIA World Factbook 2022-2023

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    CIA World Factbook 2022-2023 - Central Intelligence Agency

    A

    AFGHANISTAN

    INTRODUCTION

    Background: Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country’s civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN.

    A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was reelected in August 2009 for a second term. The 2014 presidential election was the country’s first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as president and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of chief executive officer. The day after the inauguration, the GHANI administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan. After two postponements, the next presidential election was held in September 2019.

    The Taliban remains a serious challenge for the Afghan Government in almost every province. The Taliban still considers itself the rightful government of Afghanistan, and it remains a capable and confident insurgent force fighting for the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Afghanistan, establishment of sharia law, and rewriting of the Afghan constitution. In 2019, negotiations between the US and the Taliban in Doha entered their highest level yet, building on momentum that began in late 2018. Underlying the negotiations is the unsettled state of Afghan politics, and prospects for a sustainable political settlement remain unclear.

    GEOGRAPHY

    Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

    Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E

    Map references: Asia

    Area: total: 652,230 sq km

    land: 652,230 sq km

    water: 0 sq km

    country comparison to the world: 43

    Area - comparative: almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas

    Land boundaries: total: 5,987 km

    border countries (6): China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2670 km, Tajikistan 1357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km

    Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

    Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

    Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

    Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

    Elevation: highest point: Noshak 7,492 m

    lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m

    mean elevation: 1,884 m

    Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land

    Land use: agricultural land: 58.1% (2018 est.)

    arable land: 11.8% (2018)

    permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)

    permanent pasture: 46% (2018)

    forest: 1.85% (2018 est.)

    other: 40.1% (2018)

    Irrigated land: 32,080 sq km (2012)

    Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km)

    Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Amu Darya (534,739 sq km); Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km)

    Major lakes (area sq km):

    Salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km

    Major rivers (by length in km): Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km

    note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

    Population distribution: populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country’s interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated

    Natural hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts

    Geography - note: landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)

    PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

    Population: 37,466,414 (July 2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 39

    Nationality: noun: Afghan(s)

    adjective: Afghan

    Ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz) (2015)

    note: current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan’s 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai

    Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 78% (Dari functions as the lingua franca), Pashto (official) 50%, Uzbek 10%, English 5%, Turkmen 2%, Urdu 2%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2017 est.)

    major-language sample(s):

    (Dari)

    (Pashto)

    note 1: data represent most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language

    note 2: the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them

    Religions: Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other 0.3% (2009 est.)

    Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.62% (male 7,562,703/female 7,321,646)

    15-24 years: 21.26% (male 3,960,044/female 3,828,670)

    25-54 years: 31.44% (male 5,858,675/female 5,661,887)

    55-64 years: 4.01% (male 724,597/female 744,910)

    65 years and over: 2.68% (male 451,852/female 528,831) (2020 est.)

    Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 88.8

    youth dependency ratio: 75.3

    elderly dependency ratio: 4.8

    potential support ratio: 21 (2020 est.)

    Median age: total: 19.5 years

    male: 19.4 years

    female: 19.5 years (2020 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 201

    Population growth rate: 2.34% (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 28

    Birth rate: 36.08 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 13

    Death rate: 12.57 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 11

    Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 99

    Population distribution: populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country’s interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated

    Urbanization: urban population: 26.3% of total population (2021)

    rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

    Major urban areas - population: 4.336 million KABUL (capital) (2021)

    Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

    0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

    15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

    25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

    55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

    65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

    total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

    Mother’s mean age at first birth: 19.9 years (2015 est.)

    note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

    Maternal mortality ratio: 638 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 11

    Infant mortality rate: total: 106.75 deaths/1,000 live births

    male: 115.21 deaths/1,000 live births

    female: 97.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 1

    Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.25 years

    male: 51.73 years

    female: 54.85 years (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 227

    Total fertility rate: 4.72 children born/woman (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 14

    Contraceptive prevalence rate: 18.9% (2018)

    note: percent of women aged 12-49

    Drinking water source: improved: urban: 95.9% of population

    rural: 61.4% of population

    total: 70.2% of population

    unimproved: urban: 3.2% of population

    rural: 38.6% of population

    total: 38.6% of population (2017 est.)

    Current Health Expenditure: 9.4% (2018)

    Physicians density: 0.28 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

    Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

    Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 83.6% of population

    rural: 43% of population

    total: 53.2% of population

    unimproved: urban: 16.4% of population

    rural: 57% of population

    total: 46.8% of population (2017 est.)

    HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: <.1% (2020 est.)

    HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000 (2020 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 97

    HIV/AIDS - deaths: <1,000 (2020 est.)

    Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate (2020)

    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

    vectorborne diseases: Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria

    Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 5.5% (2016)

    country comparison to the world: 176

    Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 19.1% (2018)

    country comparison to the world: 22

    Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2019)

    country comparison to the world: 138

    Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

    total population: 37.3%

    male: 52.1%

    female: 22.6% (2021)

    School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 10 years

    male: 13 years

    female: 8 years (2018)

    Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 16.2%

    male: 14.5%

    female: 21.1% (2020)

    country comparison to the world: 99

    ENVIRONMENT

    Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh-water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution in overcrowded urban areas

    Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

    signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

    Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 53.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

    carbon dioxide emissions: 8.67 megatons (2016 est.)

    methane emissions: 90.98 megatons (2020 est.)

    Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

    Land use: agricultural land: 58.1% (2018 est.)

    arable land: 11.8% (2018)

    permanent crops: 0.3% (2018)

    permanent pasture: 46% (2018)

    forest: 1.85% (2018 est.)

    other: 40.1% (2018)

    Urbanization: urban population: 26.3% of total population (2021)

    rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

    Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 93

    Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 12

    Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate (2020)

    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

    vectorborne diseases: Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever, malaria

    Food insecurity: severe localized food insecurity: due to civil conflict, population displacement, and economic slowdown - the food security situation worsened in recent months due to the impact of COVID-19 as informal labor opportunities and remittances declined; between November 2020 and March 2021, about 13.15 million people were estimated to be in severe acute food insecurity and to require urgent humanitarian assistance, including 8.52 million people in Crisis and 4.3 million people in Emergency; the food security of the vulnerable populations, including IDPs and the urban poor, is likely to deteriorate as curfews and restrictions on movements to contain the COVID-19 outbreak limit the employment opportunities for casual laborers (2021)

    Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,628,525 tons (2016 est.)

    Major lakes (area sq km):

    Salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km

    Major rivers (by length in km): Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km

    note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

    Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km)

    Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Amu Darya (534,739 sq km); Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km)

    Total water withdrawal: municipal: 203.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

    industrial: 169.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

    agricultural: 20 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

    Total renewable water resources: 65.33 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

    GOVERNMENT

    Country name: conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

    conventional short form: Afghanistan

    local long form: Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan

    local short form: Afghanistan

    former: Republic of Afghanistan

    etymology: the name Afghan originally referred to the Pashtun people (today it is understood to include all the country’s ethnic groups), while the suffix -stan means place of or country; so Afghanistan literally means the Land of the Afghans

    Government type: presidential Islamic republic

    Capital: name: Kabul

    geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 11 E

    time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

    daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time

    etymology: named for the Kabul River, but the river’s name is of unknown origin

    Administrative divisions: 34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul

    Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

    National holiday: Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

    Constitution: history: several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004

    amendments: proposed by a commission formed by presidential decree followed by the convention of a Grand Council (Loya Jirga) decreed by the president; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Loya Jirga membership and endorsement by the president

    Legal system: mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic (sharia) law

    International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

    Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

    citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must have been born in - and continuously lived in - Afghanistan

    dual citizenship recognized: no

    residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

    Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

    Executive branch: chief of state: president (vacant); President Ashraf GHANI departed the country on 15 August 2021; CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); First Deputy CEO Khyal Mohammad KHAN; Second Deputy CEO Mohammad MOHAQQEQ; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

    head of government: president (vacant); President Ashraf GHANI departed the country on 15 August 2021; CEO Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); First Deputy CEO Khyal Mohammad KHAN; Second Deputy CEO Mohammad MOHAQQEQ

    cabinet: Cabinet consists of 25 ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

    elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 September 2019

    election results: Ashraf GHANI declared winner by the Independent Election Commission on 18 February 2020; Ashraf GHANI 50.6%, Abdullah ABDULLAH, Dr. 39.5%, other 0.9%

    note: Ashraf GHANI left the country on 15 August 2021; on 7 September 2021, Mullah Mohammad HASSAN was announced as the head of an interim government

    Legislative branch: description: bicameral National Assembly consists of:

    Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 appointed by the president from nominations by civic groups, political parties, and the public, of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; presidential appointees serve 5-year terms)

    Wolesi Jirga or House of People (250 seats, including 68 reserved for women; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

    elections: Meshrano Jirga - district councils - within 5 days of installation; provincial councils - within 15 days of installation; presidential appointees - within 2 weeks after the presidential inauguration (last held 10 January 2015); note - in early 2016, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani extended their mandate until parliamentary and district elections are held. Wolesi Jirga - last held on 20 October 2018) (next to be held in 2023)

    election results: Meshrano Jirga - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 85, women 17, percent of women 16.7%

    Wolesi Jirga - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 182, women 68, percent of women 27.2%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 24.1%

    note: the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it consists of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils; a Loya Jirga can amend provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; no constitutional Loya Jirga has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected; the president appointed 34 members of the Meshrano Jirga that the district councils should have indirectly elected

    Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the supreme court chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans)

    judge selection and term of office: court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10-year terms

    subordinate courts: Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles

    Political parties and leaders: note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019

    International organization participation: ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNAMA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

    Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Adela RAZ (since July 2021)

    chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

    telephone: [1] (202) 483-6410

    FAX: [1] (202) 483-6488

    email address and website: [email protected]

    https://www.afghanembassy.us/

    consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC

    Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Ross WILSON (since 18 January 2020)

    embassy: Bibi Mahru, Kabul

    mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Washington DC 20521-6180

    telephone: [00 93] (0) 700-10-8000

    FAX: [00 93] (0) 700-108-564

    email address and website: [email protected]

    https://af.usembassy.gov/

    Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other 2 bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning God is great), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam

    note: Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century - 19 by one count - than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them

    National symbol(s): lion; national colors: red, green, black

    National anthem: name: Milli Surood (National Anthem)

    lyrics/music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA

    note: adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups

    ECONOMY

    Economic overview: Prior to 2001, Afghanistan was an extremely poor, landlocked, and foreign aid-dependent country. Increased domestic economic activity occurred following the US-led invasion, as well as significant international economic development assistance. This increased activity expanded access to water, electricity, sanitation, education, and health services, and fostered consistent growth in government revenues since 2014. While international security forces have been drawing down since 2012, with much higher U.S. forces’ drawdowns occurring since 2017, economic progress continues, albeit uneven across sectors and key economic indicators. After recovering from the 2018 drought and growing 3.9% in 2019, political instability, expiring international financial commitments, and the COVID-19 pandemic have wrought significant adversity on the Afghan economy, with a projected 5% contraction.

    Current political parties’ power-sharing agreement following the September 2019 presidential elections as well as ongoing Taliban attacks and peace talks have led to Afghan economic instability. This instability, coupled with expiring international grant and assistance, endangers recent fiscal gains and has led to more internally displaced persons. In November 2020, Afghanistan secured $12 billion in additional international aid for 2021-2025, much of which is conditional upon Taliban peace progress. Additionally, Afghanistan continues to experience influxes of repatriating Afghanis, mostly from Iran, significantly straining economic and security institutions.

    Afghanistan’s trade deficit remains at approximately 31% of GDP and is highly dependent on financing through grants and aid. While Afghan agricultural growth remains consistent, recent industrial and services growth have been enormously impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and trade cessations. While trade with the People’s Republic of China has rapidly expanded in recent years, Afghanistan still relies heavily upon India and Pakistan as export partners but is more diverse in its import partners. Furthermore, Afghanistan still struggles to effectively enforce business contracts, facilitate easy tax collection, and enable greater international trade for domestic enterprises.

    Current Afghan priorities focus on the following goals:

    — Securing international economic agreements, many of which are contingent on Taliban peace progress;

    — Increasing exports to $2 billion USD by 2023;

    — Continuing to expand government revenue collection;

    — Countering corruption and navigating challenges from the power-sharing agreement; and

    — Developing a strong private sector that can empower the economy.

    Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $77.04 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

    $78.56 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

    $75.6 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

    note: data are in 2017 dollars

    country comparison to the world: 98

    Real GDP growth rate: 2.7% (2017 est.)

    2.2% (2016 est.)

    1% (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 105

    Real GDP per capita: $2,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

    $2,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

    $2,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

    note: data are in 2017 dollars

    country comparison to the world: 214

    GDP (official exchange rate): $20.24 billion (2017 est.)

    Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2017 est.)

    4.4% (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 181

    GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 23% (2016 est.)

    industry: 21.1% (2016 est.)

    services: 55.9% (2016 est.)

    note: data exclude opium production

    GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 81.6% (2016 est.)

    government consumption: 12% (2016 est.)

    investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2016 est.)

    investment in inventories: 30% (2016 est.)

    exports of goods and services: 6.7% (2016 est.)

    imports of goods and services: -47.6% (2016 est.)

    Agricultural products: wheat, milk, grapes, vegetables, potatoes, watermelons, melons, rice, onions, apples

    Industries: small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

    Industrial production growth rate: -1.9% (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 181

    Labor force: 8.478 million (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 58

    Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 44.3%

    industry: 18.1%

    services: 37.6% (2017 est.)

    Unemployment rate: 23.9% (2017 est.)

    22.6% (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 195

    Population below poverty line: 54.5% (2016 est.)

    Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 29.4 (2008)

    country comparison to the world: 153

    Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.8%

    highest 10%: 24% (2008)

    Budget: revenues: 2.276 billion (2017 est.)

    expenditures: 5.328 billion (2017 est.)

    Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -15.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 217

    Public debt: 7% of GDP (2017 est.)

    7.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 202

    Taxes and other revenues: 11.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 210

    Fiscal year: 21 December - 20 December

    Current account balance: $1.014 billion (2017 est.)

    $1.409 billion (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 49

    Exports: $1.48 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

    $1.52 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

    $1.61 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

    note: not including illicit exports or reexports

    country comparison to the world: 165

    Exports - partners: United Arab Emirates 45%, Pakistan 24%, India 22%, China 1% (2019)

    Exports - commodities: gold, grapes, opium, fruits and nuts, insect resins, cotton, handwoven carpets, soapstone, scrap metal (2019)

    Imports: $6.98 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

    $7.37 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

    $7.98 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 126

    Imports - partners: United Arab Emirates 23%, Pakistan 17%, India 13%, China 9%, United States 9%, Uzbekistan 7%, Kazakhstan 6% (2019)

    Imports - commodities: wheat flours, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, rolled tobacco, aircraft parts, synthetic fabrics (2019)

    Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.187 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

    $6.901 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 85

    Debt - external: $284 million (FY10/11)

    country comparison to the world: 185

    Exchange rates: afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -

    7.87 (2017 est.)

    68.03 (2016 est.)

    67.87 (2015)

    61.14 (2014 est.)

    57.25 (2013 est.)

    ENERGY

    Electricity access: electrification - total population: 99% (2018)

    electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)

    electrification - rural areas: 98% (2018)

    Electricity - production: 1.211 billion kWh (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 146

    Electricity - consumption: 5.526 billion kWh (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 119

    Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 96

    Electricity - imports: 4.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 42

    Electricity - installed generating capacity: 634,100 kW (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 138

    Electricity - from fossil fuels: 45% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 159

    Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 32

    Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 52% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 34

    Electricity - from other renewable sources: 4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 110

    Crude oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 101

    Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 82

    Crude oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 84

    Crude oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 99

    Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 110

    Refined petroleum products - consumption: 35,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 117

    Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 124

    Refined petroleum products – imports: 34,210 bbl/day (2015 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 97

    Natural gas - production: 164.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 79

    Natural gas - consumption: 164.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 108

    Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 57

    Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 81

    Natural gas - proved reserves: 49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 62

    COMMUNICATIONS

    Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 134,636

    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 128

    Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 22,580,071

    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63.18 (2019 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 55

    Telecommunication systems: general assessment: despite decades of war, Afghanistan has successfully rebuilt infrastructure to create a functional telecom sector that covers nearly all of the population; due to mountainous geography, country relies on its mobile network; mobile broadband penetration growing, but is still low compared to other countries in Asia; operator launched LTE in Kabul; World Bank and other donors support development of a nationwide fiber backbone; terrestrial cable connectivity to five neighboring countries; work on the ‘Wakhan Corridor Fiber Optic Survey Project’ to connect to China is nearing completion; major importer of broadcasting equipment from UAE (2020)

    domestic: less than 1 per 100 for fixed-line teledensity; 59 per 100 for mobile-cellular; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks (2019)

    international: country code - 93; multiple VSAT’s provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2019)

    Broadcast media: state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 174 private radio stations, 83 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2019)

    Internet country code: .af

    Internet users: total: 4,717,013

    percent of population: 13.5% (July 2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 86

    Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 19,683

    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 159

    TRANSPORTATION

    National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)

    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13

    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,722,612 (2018)

    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 29.56 million mt-km (2018)

    Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YA

    Airports: total: 46 (2020)

    country comparison to the world: 94

    Airports - with paved runways: total: 29

    over 3,047 m: 4

    2,438 to 3,047 m: 8

    1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

    914 to 1,523 m: 2

    under 914 m: 3 (2020)

    Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17

    2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

    1,524 to 2,437 m: 7

    914 to 1,523 m: 4

    under 914 m: 5 (2020)

    Heliports: 1 (2020)

    Pipelines: 466 km gas (2013)

    Roadways: total: 34,903 km (2017)

    paved: 17,903 km (2017)

    unpaved: 17,000 km (2017)

    country comparison to the world: 93

    Waterways: 1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)

    country comparison to the world: 58

    Ports and terminals: river port(s): Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

    MILITARY AND SECURITY

    Military and security forces: prior to August 2021, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) were comprised of military, police, and other security elements:

    Ministry of Defense: Afghan National Army ((ANA), Afghan Air Force, Afghan Army Special Security Forces (ASSF; includes ANA Special Operations Command, General Command Police Special Units (GCPSU), and the Special Mission Wing (SMW)), Afghanistan National Army Territorial Forces (ANA-TF, lightly-armed local security forces); Afghan Border Force (ABF); Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF)

    Ministry of Interior: Afghan Uniform (National) Police (AUP); Public Security Police (PSP); Afghan Border Police (ABP); Afghan Anti-Crime Police; Afghan Local Police; Afghan Public Protection Force; Special Security Forces

    National Directorate of Security ((NDS), intelligence service) (2021)

    Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2019)

    1% of GDP (2018)

    0.9% of GDP (2017)

    1% of GDP (2016)

    1% of GDP (2015)

    country comparison to the world: 106

    Military and security service personnel strengths: not available; prior to August 2021, the ANDSF had approximately 300,000 personnel (180,000 Ministry of Defense; 120,000 Ministry of Interior)

    Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: prior to August 2021, the Afghan military inventory was mostly a mix of Soviet-era and more modern US and other foreign equipment; since 2010, the US was the leading supplier of arms to Afghanistan, followed by Russia (2021)

    Military service age and obligation: not available

    Military - note: during the fighting with the Afghan Government, the Taliban’s military operations and strategy were directed by a leadership council (Rahbari Shura) led by HAIBATULLAH Akhundzada; Taliban forces were a decentralized guerrilla and militia force of approximately 60-80,000 full-time fighters loosely organized as battalions and brigades with at least one corps headquarters; as of September 2021, the Taliban was still forming an official military structure, although it reportedly had a special forces unit

    TERRORISM

    Terrorist group(s): Haqqani Taliban Network; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Jaishe- Mohammed; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent; Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

    note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T

    TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES

    Disputes - international: Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps and since 2014 have met to discuss collaboration on the Taliban insurgency and counterterrorism efforts; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan’s restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries

    Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 72,185 (Pakistan) (2020)

    IDPs: 3.547 million (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to natural disasters and political instability) (2020)

    Trafficking in persons: current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims and returning Afghan migrants and exploit Afghan victims abroad; internal trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking; traffickers exploit men, women, and a large number of children domestically; victims are subjected to forced labor in agriculture, brick kilns, carpet weaving, domestic servitude, commercial sex, begging, poppy cultivation and harvesting, salt mining, transnational drug smuggling, and truck driving; Afghan security forces and non-state armed groups, including the pro-government militias and the Taliban, continue to unlawfully recruit and use child soldiers; sexual exploitation of boys remains pervasive nationwide, and traffickers subject some boys to sexual exploitation abroad

    tier rating: Tier 3 Afghanistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government decreased law enforcement efforts against civilian and official perpetrators of trafficking, and officials complicit in recruitment and use of child soldiers and the sexual exploitation of boys continued to operate with impunity; authorities continued to arrest, detain, and penalize many trafficking victims, including punishing sex trafficking victims for moral crimes; the judiciary remained underfunded, understaffed, and undertrained (2020)

    Illicit drugs: the world’s largest producer of illicit opiates but it is not a major supplier to the United States; 215,000 hectares (ha) of opium poppy cultivated in Afghanistan in 2019; also produces methamphetamine and cannabis products; one of the highest domestic substance abuse rates in the world

    (2018)

    AKROTIRI

    INTRODUCTION

    Background: By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.

    GEOGRAPHY

    Location: Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

    Geographic coordinates: 34 37 N, 32 58 E

    Map references: Middle East

    Area: total: 123 sq km

    note: includes a salt lake and wetlands

    country comparison to the world: 223

    Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

    Land boundaries: total: 48 km

    border countries (1): Cyprus 48 km

    Coastline: 56.3 km

    Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

    Geography - note: British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

    PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

    Population: approximately 18,195 on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 11,000 Cypriots and 7,195 Service and UK-based contract personnel and dependents (2020)

    Languages: English, Greek

    major-language sample(s):

    . (Greek)

    ENVIRONMENT

    Environment - current issues: hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base

    Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

    GOVERNMENT

    Country name: conventional long form: none

    conventional short form: Akrotiri

    etymology: named for the village that lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus

    Dependency status: a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

    Capital: name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia)

    geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E

    time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

    daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

    etymology: Episkopi means episcopal in Greek and stems from the fact that the site previously served as the bishop’s seat of an Orthodox diocese

    Constitution: history: presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960 serves as a basic legal document)

    amendments: amended 1966

    Legal system: laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters

    Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

    head of government: Administrator Major General Robert J. THOMSON (since 25 September 2019); note - administrator reports to the British Ministry of Defense; the chief officer is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Bases

    elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; administrator appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Ministry of Defense

    Judicial branch: highest courts: Senior Judges’ Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales)

    judge selection and term of office: see entry for United Kingdom

    subordinate courts: Resident Judges’ Court; Courts Martial

    Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)

    Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK)

    Flag description: the flag of the UK is used

    National anthem: note: as a UK area of special sovereignty, God Save the Queen is official (see United Kingdom)

    ECONOMY

    Economic overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

    Exchange rates: note: uses the euro

    COMMUNICATIONS

    Broadcast media: British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area

    TRANSPORTATION

    Airports: total: 1 (2020)

    country comparison to the world: 209

    Airports - with paved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017)

    MILITARY AND SECURITY

    Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK; Akrotiri (aka the Western Sovereign Base Area) has a full RAF base, headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and the Episkopi Cantonment

    ALBANIA

    INTRODUCTION

    Background: Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of isolated communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents.

    Albania has made progress in its democratic development since it first held multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. Most of Albania’s post-communist elections were marred by claims of electoral fraud; however, international observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became an EU candidate. Albania in April 2017 received a European Commission recommendation to open EU accession negotiations following the passage of historic EU-mandated justice reforms in 2016. Although Albania’s economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and a weak energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

    GEOGRAPHY

    Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

    Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 20 00 E

    Map references: Europe

    Area: total: 28,748 sq km

    land: 27,398 sq km

    water: 1,350 sq km

    country comparison to the world: 144

    Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

    Land boundaries: total: 691 km

    border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km

    Coastline: 362 km

    Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

    continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

    Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

    Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

    Elevation: highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

    lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m

    mean elevation: 708 m

    Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

    Land use: agricultural land: 42.8% (2018 est.)

    arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)

    permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)

    permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)

    forest: 28.8% (2018 est.)

    other: 28.2% (2018 est.)

    Irrigated land: 3,537 sq km (2014)

    Major watersheds (area sq km):

    Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

    Major lakes (area sq km):

    Fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq km

    note - largest lake in the Balkans

    Population distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

    Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

    Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

    PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

    Population: 3,088,385 (July 2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 136

    Nationality: noun: Albanian(s)

    adjective: Albanian

    Ethnic groups: Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)

    note: data represent population by ethnic and cultural affiliation

    Languages: Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

    major-language sample(s):

    Libri i fakteve boterore, burim i pa zevendesueshem per informacione elementare. (Albanian)

    Religions: Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% (2011 est.)

    note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

    Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.6% (male 284,636/female 256,474)

    15-24 years: 15.39% (male 246,931/female 226,318)

    25-54 years: 42.04% (male 622,100/female 670,307)

    55-64 years: 11.94% (male 178,419/female 188,783)

    65 years and over: 13.03% (male 186,335/female 214,276) (2020 est.)

    Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 46.9

    youth dependency ratio: 25.3

    elderly dependency ratio: 21.6

    potential support ratio: 4.6 (2020 est.)

    Median age: total: 34.3 years

    male: 32.9 years

    female: 35.7 years (2020 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 91

    Population growth rate: 0.24% (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 179

    Birth rate: 12.86 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 141

    Death rate: 7.27 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 106

    Net migration rate: -3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 182

    Population distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

    Urbanization: urban population: 63% of total population (2021)

    rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

    Major urban areas - population: 503,000 TIRANA (capital) (2021)

    Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

    0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

    15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

    25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

    55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

    65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

    total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

    Mother’s mean age at first birth: 24.8 years (2019 est.)

    Maternal mortality ratio: 15 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 136

    Infant mortality rate: total: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

    male: 12.15 deaths/1,000 live births

    female: 9.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 132

    Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.23 years

    male: 76.55 years

    female: 82.12 years (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 62

    Total fertility rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2021 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 196

    Contraceptive prevalence rate: 46% (2017/18)

    Drinking water source: improved: urban: 96.8% of population

    rural: 95.3% of population

    total: 96.2% of population

    unimproved: urban: 4.7% of population

    rural: 4.7% of population

    total: 3.8% of population (2017 est.)

    Current Health Expenditure: 5.3% (2018)

    Physicians density: 1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

    Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

    Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 100% of population

    rural: 99.5% of population

    total: 99.8% of population

    unimproved: urban: 0% of population

    rural: 0.5% of population

    total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.)

    HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: <.1 (2020 est.)

    HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400 (2020 est.)

    note: estimate does not include children

    country comparison to the world: 138

    HIV/AIDS - deaths: <100 (2020 est.)

    note: estimate does not include children

    Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 21.7% (2016)

    country comparison to the world: 85

    Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.5% (2017/18)

    country comparison to the world: 118

    Education expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2019)

    country comparison to the world: 105

    Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

    total population: 98.1%

    male: 98.5%

    female: 97.8% (2018)

    School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years

    male: 14 years

    female: 15 years (2020)

    Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 27%

    male: 27.8%

    female: 25.9% (2019 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 42

    ENVIRONMENT

    Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management

    Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

    signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

    Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 17.87 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

    carbon dioxide emissions: 4.54 megatons (2016 est.)

    methane emissions: 2.55 megatons (2020 est.)

    Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

    Land use: agricultural land: 42.8% (2018 est.)

    arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)

    permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)

    permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)

    forest: 28.8% (2018 est.)

    other: 28.2% (2018 est.)

    Urbanization: urban population: 63% of total population (2021)

    rate of urbanization: 1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

    Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 95

    Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 34

    Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,142,964 tons (2015 est.)

    Major lakes (area sq km):

    Fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq km

    note - largest lake in the Balkans

    Major watersheds (area sq km):

    Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

    Total water withdrawal: municipal: 283 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

    industrial: 231.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

    agricultural: 905 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

    Total renewable water resources: 30.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

    GOVERNMENT

    Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Albania

    conventional short form: Albania

    local long form: Republika e Shqiperise

    local short form: Shqiperia

    former: People’s Socialist Republic of Albania

    etymology: the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name Shqiperia is derived from the Albanian word Shqiponje (Eagle) and is popularly interpreted to mean Land of the Eagles

    Government type: parliamentary republic

    Capital: name: Tirana (Tirane)

    geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E

    time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

    daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

    etymology: the name Tirana first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear, but may derive from Tirkan Fortress, whose ruins survive on the slopes of Dajti mountain and which overlooks the city

    Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore

    Independence: 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

    National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day

    Constitution: history: several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998

    amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2020

    Legal system: civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the Code of Leke is still present

    International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

    Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

    citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania

    dual citizenship recognized: yes

    residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

    Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

    Executive branch: chief of state: President of the Republic Ilir META (since 24 July 2017)

    head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Senida MESI (since 13 September 2017)

    cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly

    elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 19, 20, 27, and 28 April 2017 (next election to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly

    election results: Ilir META elected president; Assembly vote - 87 - 2 in fourth round

    Legislative branch: description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

    elections: last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

    election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition -men 93, women 47, percent of women 33.6%%

    Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)

    judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of prequalified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term

    subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)

    Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD)

    Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA]

    Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (part of the Alliance for Change; formerly part of APMI)

    Social Democratic Party or PSD [Tom DOSHI]

    Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Monika KRYEMADHI]

    Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

    International organization participation: BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

    Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Floreta LULI-FABER (since 18 May 2015)

    chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

    telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942

    FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342

    email address and website:

    [email protected]

    http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en

    consulate(s) general: New York

    Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yuri KIM (since 27 January 2020)

    embassy: Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana

    mailing address: 9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510

    telephone: [355] 4 2247-285

    FAX: [355] 4 2232-222

    email address and website:

    [email protected]

    https://al.usembassy.gov/

    Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as Shqiptare, which translates as sons of the eagle

    National symbol(s): black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

    National anthem: name: Hymni i Flamurit (Hymn to the Flag)

    lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

    note: adopted 1912

    ECONOMY

    Economic overview: Albania, a formerly closed, centrally planned state, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, the negative effects of the crisis caused a significant economic slowdown. Since 2014, Albania’s economy has steadily improved and economic growth reached 3.8% in 2017. However, close trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of possible debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone.

    Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.8% of GDP in 2015, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 40% of employment but less than one quarter of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania’s poor business environment making attracting foreign investment difficult. Since 2015, Albania has launched an ambitious program to increase tax compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. In July 2016, Albania passed constitutional amendments reforming the judicial system in order to strengthen the rule of law and to reduce deeply entrenched corruption.

    Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. However, the government has recently taken steps to stem non-technical losses and has begun to upgrade the distribution grid. Better enforcement of electricity contracts has improved the financial viability of the sector, decreasing its reliance on budget support. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor road and rail networks, a long standing barrier to sustained economic growth.

    Inward foreign direct investment has increased significantly in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. The government is focused on the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, and it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Albania’s three-year IMF program, an extended fund facility arrangement, was successfully concluded in February 2017. The Albanian Government has strengthened tax collection amid moderate public wage and pension increases in an effort to reduce its budget deficit. The country continues to face high public debt, exceeding its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2016.

    Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $37.73 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

    $39.02 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

    $38.19 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

    note: data are in 2010 dollars

    country comparison to the world: 123

    Real GDP growth rate: 2.24% (2019 est.)

    4.07% (2018 est.)

    3.8% (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 124

    Real GDP per capita: $13,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

    $13,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

    $13,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

    note: data are in 2010 dollars

    country comparison to the world: 115

    GDP (official exchange rate): $15.273 billion (2019 est.)

    Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (2019 est.)

    2% (2018 est.)

    1.9% (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 79

    Credit ratings

    Moody’s rating: B1 (2007)

    Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2016)

    GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 21.7% (2017 est.)

    industry: 24.2% (2017 est.)

    services: 54.1% (2017 est.)

    GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 78.1% (2017 est.)

    government consumption: 11.5% (2017 est.)

    investment in fixed capital: 25.2% (2017 est.)

    investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)

    exports of goods and services: 31.5% (2017 est.)

    imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2017 est.)

    Agricultural products: milk, maize, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, wheat, grapes, cucumbers, onions, apples

    Industries: food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

    Industrial production growth rate: 6.8% (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 31

    Labor force: 1.104 million (2020 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 139

    Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 41.4%

    industry: 18.3%

    services: 40.3% (2017 est.)

    Unemployment rate: 5.83% (2019 est.)

    6.32% (2018 est.)

    note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming

    country comparison to the world: 96

    Population below poverty line: 14.3% (2012 est.)

    Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 33.2 (2017 est.)

    30 (2008 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 129

    Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1%

    highest 10%: 19.6% (2015 est.)

    Budget: revenues: 3.614 billion (2017 est.)

    expenditures: 3.874 billion (2017 est.)

    Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 103

    Public debt: 71.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

    73.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 46

    Taxes and other revenues: 27.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

    country comparison to the world: 99

    Fiscal year: calendar year

    Current account balance: -$908

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