Safest cities in Afghanistan
41 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in AfghanistanTerrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.
- Terrorist kidnapThere is a very high threat of being kidnapped in Afghanistan.
Tour operators in Afghanistan
- There are tour operators that offer travel and guided tours to Afghanistan. FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan, even if you are part of an organised tour group. In May 2024, three Spanish tourists were killed in a shooting while on a guided tour in Bamiyan, Central Afghanistan.
Political situation
- ProtestsAvoid demonstrations as they may turn violent and you may be arrested.
Detention and possible charges
- UK government support for detaineesThe British government may not be notified if you are detained. There are considerable challenges in setting up contact or access. FCDO’s ability to get any information from the authorities could be severely limited, and you may not be able to contact your next of kin.
Crime
- There is a risk of violent street crime and home invasion including armed robbery in Afghan cities. Make sure your accommodation is secure and review your security measures regularly.
Criminal kidnaps
- There is a significant risk of kidnapping of foreign nationals for ransom.
Laws and cultural differences
- Laws on dressThe Taliban have set codes of dress for men and women and strictly enforce them.
- Lack of women’s rightsThe Taliban have made it illegal for women to travel for more than 72km (44 miles) without being accompanied by their husband, father or brother (a ‘mahram’). Taliban officials regularly check transport and monitor public locations, including hospitals and schools. They can stop women from travelling, including leaving Afghanistan, and may…
- RamadanRamadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country.
- Illegal food, drugs and alcoholYou are not allowed to use or bring into the country narcotics, alcohol or pork products. If you do, you could be arrested.
- Mobile phones, internet access and communicationsThe Taliban have blocked, significantly slowed, or shut down landline, internet, and mobile services without warning in the past. This can be nationwide or localised. This can affect communication and location services on smartphones and other devices. You should:
- Using cameras in secure areasIt may not be immediately clear whether taking photos could cause offence or suspicion. Avoid photographing local people without their agreement and pay close attention to local information and ways of doing things. Photographing certain buildings in Afghanistan is not allowed and may lead to detention, including:
- LGBT+ travellersSame-sex sexual activity is illegal under the Taliban and has historically always been forbidden in Afghanistan.
- Buying antiquitiesDo not buy or try to export antiquities without getting a receipt from an authorised dealer. When you leave Afghanistan the authorities may ask for proof you bought the item. If you do not have a receipt, they could detain you, and you may get a fine or prison sentence.
- MoneyIf you travel to Afghanistan against FCDO advice, you may face problems with the authorities if you try to import foreign currency. It is illegal to carry more than 5000 US dollars through airports and more than 500 US dollars through land borders in cash, but you may not be able to use foreign-issued bank cards at ATMs and local banks.
Transport risks
- Road travelRoad travel is highly dangerous. FCDO advises against all travel around Afghanistan.
- Air travelKabul International Airport does not meet international aviation safety standards.
Extreme weather and natural disasters
- EarthquakesAfghanistan is in an active earthquake zone. Consider signing up to the US Geological Survey global monitoring agency. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency website has advice about what to do before, during and after an earthquake.
- Floods and avalanchesHeavy rain and winter snowfall can cause significant floods, particularly outside the capital. Heavy snowfall often causes avalanches in the mountains during the winter and spring. Afghanistan lacks emergency response infrastructure, so be prepared for any situation.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Afghanistan, updated 2026-07-30 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 4.22 /100k2023
- Income inequality
- no data
- Human development
- HDI 0.4962023
- Income
- $2,250/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 15.9 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 28/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 24/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 16/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 7.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.28GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 37.9 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- 31%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.3 doctors /1k0.4 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 18 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only
Natural hazards
- Earthquake
- 8.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 8.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Flood
- 7.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Afghanistan, with the death penalty applying in law (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.
How Afghanistan compares
| Measure | Afghanistan | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 4.2 /100k | 2.4 /100k | +1.8 /100k — better for World median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 35.2 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.496 | 0.763 | −0.267 — better for World median |
| Road deaths | 15.9 /100k | 15.4 /100k | +0.5 /100k — better for World median |
| Rule of law | 24/100 | 52/100 | −28/100 — better for World median |
| Corruption perceptions | 16/100 | 39/100 | −23/100 — better for World median |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 37.9 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | +18.2 µg/m³ — better for World median |
| Natural-hazard risk | 7.8/10 | 3.8/10 | +4.0/10 — better for World median |
| Measure | Afghanistan | Asia median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 4.2 /100k | 1.5 /100k | +2.7 /100k — better for Asia median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 33.5 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.496 | 0.771 | −0.275 — better for Asia median |
| Road deaths | 15.9 /100k | 14.9 /100k | +1.0 /100k — better for Asia median |
| Rule of law | 24/100 | 52/100 | −28/100 — better for Asia median |
| Corruption perceptions | 16/100 | 37/100 | −21/100 — better for Asia median |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 37.9 µg/m³ | 26.7 µg/m³ | +11.2 µg/m³ — better for Asia median |
| Natural-hazard risk | 7.8/10 | 3.6/10 | +4.2/10 — better for Asia median |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.
All 41 cities, safest first
- Andkhoy59.8 · #4460 worldwide
- Lashkar Gah58.9 · #4522 worldwide
- Farah58.9 · #4523 worldwide
- Girishk57.2 · #4687 worldwide
- Shindand56.4 · #4747 worldwide
- Qala i Naw56.4 · #4748 worldwide
- Bai Ghesi56.1 · #4769 worldwide
- Qeysar56.1 · #4770 worldwide
- Maymana55.5 · #4829 worldwide
- Koh-i-Sayad55.5 · #4830 worldwide
- Sheberghan55.0 · #4856 worldwide
- Sange Shanda54.7 · #4874 worldwide
- Sar-e Pol54.3 · #4908 worldwide
- Bamian53.9 · #4949 worldwide
- Ghazni53.7 · #4960 worldwide
- Tarinkot53.0 · #5023 worldwide
- Lal51.8 · #5085 worldwide
- Firozkoh51.7 · #5098 worldwide
- Kandahar50.4 · #5165 worldwide
- Nao Deh49.4 · #5215 worldwide
- Toraghundi47.5 · #5380 worldwide
- Herat47.4 · #5386 worldwide
- Guzarah47.4 · #5387 worldwide
- Ghurian47.4 · #5388 worldwide
- Fayzabad47.2 · #5401 worldwide
- Mazar i sharif46.0 · #5468 worldwide
- Chayab46.0 · #5474 worldwide
- Rustaq44.9 · #5548 worldwide
- Taloqan44.8 · #5557 worldwide
- Samangan44.7 · #5566 worldwide
- Kunduz44.6 · #5573 worldwide
- Baghlan43.4 · #5645 worldwide
- Puli Khumri43.3 · #5652 worldwide
- Jalalabad40.8 · #5780 worldwide
- Kabul40.7 · #5789 worldwide
- Mihtarlam39.8 · #5828 worldwide
- Qarabagh39.7 · #5830 worldwide
- Bagram39.7 · #5836 worldwide
- Charikar39.6 · #5840 worldwide
- Golbahar39.4 · #5864 worldwide
- Khost38.0 · #5898 worldwide