World Bank Says Taliban Spent Nearly Half Of Afghanistan’s Budget On Security Affairs
The World Bank has reported that the Taliban allocated 49 percent of Afghanistan’s total budget to security sector in 2025.
The World Bank has reported that the Taliban allocated 49 percent of Afghanistan’s total budget to security sector in 2025.
The report said the group’s overall expenditure rose by 18.5 percent to 155.7 billion afghanis, with about 75.6 billion afghanis directed to security-related costs.
According to the assessment, security spending in the first seven months of Afghanistan’s 1404 fiscal year accounted for roughly half of all government expenditure. The World Bank also described Afghanistan’s economy as fragile, citing earthquakes, drought, the mass return of migrants, and disruptions to telecommunications services as factors heightening the country’s vulnerability.
The report noted that the Taliban administration’s domestic revenue in 2025 had increased by 16 percent compared with the same period last year.
The World Bank said that despite Pakistan’s closure of key border crossings, Afghanistan’s exports in October rose by 13 percent compared with the same month last year and by 3.7 percent compared with the previous year. Exports during this period reached 267 million dollars. Increased trade with India and Uzbekistan was cited as the main driver of this growth.
The report said exports had been “successfully redirected” to India and Uzbekistan despite the halt in trade with Pakistan due to border clashes. It added that the peak harvest season and relatively low domestic inflation strengthened competitiveness and helped offset losses from the disruption of trade routes through Pakistan.
Food exports reached 238.4 million dollars in October, an 8.6 percent rise from last year, indicating strong regional demand.
Trade and transit between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been suspended for more than a month following recent border clashes. Islamabad has set conditions for reopening crossings, while the Taliban have maintained that the closures have not negatively affected Afghanistan’s trade.
The Taliban Ministry of Finance said trade with neighbouring, regional, and global partners was continuing normally. Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, urged Afghan traders to seek alternative routes for trade and transit.
Pakistani authorities have said security concerns were the reason for the border closures.
