Afghanistan: An Urban Future

Afghanistan is struggling to cope with rapid urbanization and the accompanying challenges and opportunities. Though only 26% of the country’s 32 million inhabitants currently lives in urban areas, the urban population is projected to double by 2030, reaching almost 15 million, according to the UN Population Division. Urban growth in Afghanistan during the past decade has been predominantly informal and unplanned, leading to low-density sprawl, infrastructure deficiencies, and inefficient land use.
Urbanization can, however, provide opportunities for economic growth and social development.
According to the State of Afghan Cities report, provincial capitals could utilize existing vacant (unoccupied) plots to house an additional four million people, enough to cover anticipated urban growth for the next 10 years