Over 54 Percent of Afghans Live Under Poverty Line: CSO

According to Afghanistan’s Central Statistics Organization (CSO), more than 54 percent of the population is living under the poverty line while the number has risen to 67 percent during winter seasons in the country.

More than 155 thousand people from 34 provinces have participated in the survey conducted in the year 1395 in the Afghan calendar, focusing on issues such as poverty, food security, unemployment, labor market, and education.

The report suggests that 44 percent of the population in the country do not have food safety and the unemployment rate has reached 24 percent.

Speaking in a conference in Kabul, the CSO Deputy Director Hasibullah Muahid said that 38.3 percent of the population was living under the poverty line in the year 1391 and the new record shows an increase of 16.2 percent.

In addition, the official said the literacy rate has risen in comparison with the past, with literacy rates between the ages of 15 and 25 reaching 53.6 percent and the adult literacy rate is 34 percent of the country’s population.

At the same event, Mustafa Mastoor the Minister of Economy said that political instability, insecurity, and fraudulent elections were main reasons behind the drop of investment in the country.

He added that 85 percent of the country’s rural population is still living under the poverty line despite billions of dollars being spent.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the European Union (EU) and the World Bank expressed their concerns regarding the increase of the unemployment and poverty in Afghanistan.

“Let’s work together to address some of the remaining challenges. First, I would encourage you to take a look at this Afghanistan’s living condition report. For the World Bank, this kind of report is central to what we do,” said Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan.