Attachments
Highlights
Food Items: Market prices collected during the second week of February 2025 show a slight decline in the prices of almost all food commodities due to the re-strengthening of the Afghani against the USD by 1.1%, except sugar. This decrease follows a spike in prices during the second half of January 2025, which resulted from the depreciation of the Afghani after the suspension of U.S. humanitarian aid. However, central bank interventions, including USD auctions in the local market, helped stabilize the Afghani-USD exchange rate and prevented significant market fluctuations. Compared to the same period last year, food commodity prices show a mixed trend—while some have decreased, the prices of cooking oil, salt and potato remain significantly higher. Despite recent declines, the current prices of major food items remain substantially above pre-Covid levels except for wheat grain & wheat flours and prices before the political changes in June 2021, except for wheat grain, wheat flours, and cooking oil.
Non-food Items: The national price variations for these commodities. Year-on-year changes show a significant decline in the price of Urea, with slight decline in price of DAP and improved seeds. Similarly, the availability of labour per week and labour wage rates are higher compared to the same period last year. However, when compared to pre-COVID levels and June 2021, the availability of workdays per week has significantly declined, indicating a reduction in labour opportunities in the country.
Diesel: The national average diesel price was AFN 62.3 per litre in the second week of February 2025, down by 1.7% from last week and higher by 2% compared to last year same time. It remains 39% higher than pre-Covid levels and 26% above June 2021 prices. As of February 10, 2025, the global average diesel price is $1.19 per litre, which vary significantly across countries, with major oil-producing and exporting nations having substantially lower diesel prices. Average prices of non-food commodities also experienced a slight decline compared to last week, driven by changes in the exchange rate. Due to limited labour opportunities during the winter, labour wage rates are at their lowest compared to other seasons. Similarly, the demand for non-food items, such as fertilizers and improved seeds, decreases during the winter.
Winter Fuel Items: Winter fuel prices felt compared to last week: wood flour price significantly decreased by 14.4% and the rest decreased slightly, charcoal, by 3.4%, balot wood by 2.1%, pine wood by 0.4%, and liquid gas by 0.8% and the only increase occurred only by 0.1% in coal price. Year-on-year, the prices of charcoal, balot wood, pine wood and gas increased by 10%, 9%, 5% and 3%, respectively. While wood flour and coal dropped by 15% and Coal 1% in the country.