World Factbook
Afghanistan
Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021; current country name is disputed)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Military - note
the Taliban’s key security priorities are border and internal security; specific issues have included tensions with Pakistan along their shared border, armed anti-Taliban resistance elements, and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2015
2.9% of GDP (2015)
Military Expenditures 2016
3.1% of GDP (2016)
Military Expenditures 2017
3.3% of GDP (2017)
Military Expenditures 2018
3.2% of GDP (2018)
Military Expenditures 2019
3.3% of GDP (2019)
Military and security forces
the Taliban claims authority over a Ministry of Defense and a National Army (aka Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate Army, or Afghan Army); it has also formed police forces under a Ministry of Interior (2025)
Military service age and obligation
service is voluntary; there is no conscription (2023)
note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Taliban military and security forces are equipped with armaments captured in 2021 from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which were largely equipped with Russian/Soviet-era and US material (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Taliban claims to have 190,000 under the Ministry of Defense and 215,000 under the Ministry of Interior (2025)