SAEDNEWS: Afghanistan Launches First Nationwide Census in Over 40 Years, Says Taliban Statistics Chief
Abdul Qahir Idris, head of Afghanistan’s National Statistics and Information Authority under the Taliban, announced during the 8th ECO Statistical Heads Meeting that Afghanistan is set to conduct its first population census since 1979. He emphasized that, despite ongoing challenges, the authority has the capacity to provide reliable data for policymaking and development planning.
The agency also called on ECO member states to share technical expertise and experiences from large-scale statistical projects. Afghanistan’s population estimates vary, with the government citing 36.4 million and the UN estimating around 40 million.
Decades of war, insecurity, and financial and logistical constraints have prevented a national census, resulting in inaccurate population data that hinder development planning, public services, and international aid. The upcoming house-to-house census aims to provide credible statistics essential for education, healthcare, social services, and budgeting, marking a pivotal step toward sustainable development in Afghanistan.
