Review of Afghanistan’s development pattern from 2001 to 2021: a relative lack of sustainability, inclusiveness, and prosperity

Abstract

After the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan attracted world attention. The US and international community established a democratic government and started to create a long-lasting political and economic system. Unfortunately, in August 2021, the government collapsed even before the whole foreign force left the country, so Afghanistan had a legitimate government from 2001 to 2021. Two decades have passed, and much of that time has been squandered. The main economic domains—agriculture, minerals, and transit trade—remained undeveloped; reconstruction was never completed; state-building efforts in Afghanistan failed; and the country remained as poor as it was. Investment in natural resource extraction, agriculture development, and commercial mining could build a strong and stable economy, but none of these happened. Afghanistan, having huge potential for electricity production capacity, left among the lowest electricity consumption levels of the world and regional states, a tenth of the levels of the neighboring countries, and over 80 percent of the power supplied by bordering states. Foreign forces, contractors, and aid agencies created short-lived jobs for Afghans; the opportunities for jobs were restricted in big cities, mainly in the capital, and the richest quarter of the population living in urban areas benefited. The political crisis, corruption, insecurity, conflict, and war increased poverty rather than alleviated it. Unemployment and poverty remained widespread in rural areas, which posed a threat to government developmental efforts. Unsustainable and unreliable economic and political systems were run during the last twenty years (from 2001 to 2021). Nation building efforts have not gone as planned; Afghanistan is as poor as it was with the lowest standards of living globally, and the current government, plunged into an economic and financial crisis, is not able to provide basic goods and services. Unfortunately, Afghanistan faces an uncertain future.