Most of 4.2m Kabul residents grappling with unemployment

KABUL (Pajhwok):  The Central Statistics Office on Tuesday expressed its concern over lack of civic services in Kabul, putting the capital’s population at 4.2 million, most of them unemployed.

The findings came in a survey that was conducted with technical support from the UN Population Fund (UNPF) in 2013. Announced today, the study covered 30 districts, including 3,068 areas.

It shows 7,907 individuals lived in each square kilometer area of Kabul, whose total population was estimated at 4.2 million in 2014. Of them, 51.6 percent are male and 48.8 female. Of the total population, 77.2 are living in the city.

Importantly, the biggest part of the population is constituted by children between 5 and 9 years old while 15 to 24 years people make 23.2 percent.

The survey says: “The literacy rate for those aged 15 years and above is 55.2% and for young 15 to 24 years old 70. 7%. The literacy rate for those aged 10 is 59.6% and the net rate of school attendance is 39.1 percent.”

Sher Muhammad Jamezada, head of the Central Statistics Office, told a press conference that the Kabul population was increasing while basic services had been inadequate.

He said the survey has been done to collect data for decision-making and humanitarian assistance, policymaking, planning, and other programmes.

He added: “The aim of this study was to provide a vivid picture of the current status of Kabul to the sectors which have been working in economic and development fields.”

According to the Central Statistics Office data, such surveys have already been conducted in Ghor, Daikundi and Bamyan provinces. Similar studies will be conducted in 2017 in all provinces.

hs/mud

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