Afghanistan's top importing countries from 2017 to 2024!

Recent import data shows how much Afghanistan’s economy depends on its neighboring countries. Iran, Pakistan, and China remain the top three trade partners for Afghan imports. In 2024 alone, Afghanistan imported nearly $2 billion worth of goods from Iran. At the same time, imports from both China and Pakistan each crossed $1.5 billion.

This trend not only shows the strong regional trade ties, but also highlights how dependent Afghanistan is on other countries for basic goods like food, fuel, machinery, and medicine.

Imports from other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Russia are also increasing. But this high level of dependency comes with serious economic challenges. In 2024, Afghanistan imported around $10.6 billion worth of goods, while its exports only reached about $1.8 billion. This creates a large trade gap of nearly $9 billion.

In simple terms, a lot of money is leaving the country to pay for foreign goods. This puts pressure on the economy and limits the chances for domestic production and industrial growth.

Even though access to global markets is important for every country, for long-term stability, Afghanistan needs to boost its local production and increase exports. This will help the country reduce its reliance on foreign imports and take more control over its own economic future.

Note: This graphic video below shows Afghanistan’s imports over the past seven years.