Insurance and financial services in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Insurance and financial services was 1.4% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Insurance and financial services in Afghanistan, 1979–2020
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
In 2020, insurance and financial services in Afghanistan stood at 1.4%.
That represents a change of up 6.8% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insurance and financial services in Afghanistan peaked at 9.6% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2015.
Afghanistan ranks 191st of 197 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Insurance and financial services in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6.7% | — |
| 1980 | 8.2% | +22.3% |
| 1981 | 8.4% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +8.3% |
| 1983 | 9.1% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 9.4% | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 9.2% | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 9.6% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 8.9% | -7.4% |
| 1988 | 9.6% | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 9.5% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | -83.6% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | +15.4% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 2.5% | +31.1% |
| 2014 | 8.0% | +215.4% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -84.2% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +23.0% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +6.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 1.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.2%, 34% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 1.4% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.7%, 21% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Insurance and financial services in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +215.4% | 2.5% | 8.0% |
| 2015 | -84.2% | 8.0% | 1.3% |
| 2008 | -83.6% | 9.5% | 1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 9.1% | 8.2% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.3% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More private sector data for Afghanistan
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- Food imports 26.9% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 41.1% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 3.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 63.9% (2019)
- Manufactures exports 4.8% (2019)
- Merchandise exports 926.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 21.12 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0517 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 0.7617 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is insurance and financial services in Afghanistan?
- Insurance and financial services in Afghanistan was 1.4% in 2020, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest insurance and financial services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 9.6% in 1986.
- What is the lowest insurance and financial services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2015.
- How does Afghanistan rank for insurance and financial services?
- Afghanistan ranks 191st out of 197 countries with data for 2020.
- Is insurance and financial services rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Financial services covers services related to financial intermediation, financial risk management, liquidity transformation or auxiliary financial activities. It also includes insurance and pension scheme services which are services related to providing life insurance and annuities, non-life insurance, reinsurance, pensions, standardised guarantees and auxiliary services to insurance, pension schemes, and standardised guarantee schemes. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.