Centre for International Policy Studies Analyzes the 2018 Afghan Survey

The Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) at the University of Ottawa examines key findings from The Asia Foundation’s annual Survey of the Afghan People in a two-part blog feature, “A Nation in Transition: Afghan Perspectives on Society, Politics, and Economics, 2004 and 2018.” Comparing the survey results from 2004 and 2018, the article assesses important changes to how Afghan citizens’ view the future of their country.

The survey of the Afghan people, undertaken by the Asia Foundation every year since 2004, is an important barometer, tracking opinions on social, political, economic, and security conditions in their country. The survey findings provide a longitudinal picture of how public perception of issues important to the future of the country evolves from year to year. Afghan opinions, reported in the surveys are, in effect, also reflections of the state of security, governance, the economy, education, the status of women, and the democratization process as symbolized by elections.