Book reading and book sales in Afghanistan have fallen by nearly 70% over the past four years, according to local booksellers who spoke to Daryo correspondents in several cities.
Booksellers in Mazar-e-Sharif report a sharp fall in demand for books on politics, history, geography, literature, and other academic subjects, pointing to a broader erosion of reading culture. Sa’dulla Sakhi Zoda, a local vendor, said economic hardship has significantly reduced purchasing power, while many people now rely on the internet for information instead of printed books.
Despite the overall decline, some segments have shown relative resilience. Psychology and fiction titles, as well as religious literature, continue to sell, particularly works in Persian, Arabic, and Pashto. Sales of the Quran have increased, and booksellers note that members of the Taliban increasingly purchase religious publications and, in some cases, English-language books.
Another bookseller, Haji Najibullah, attributed the drop in reading habits among young people to the growing use of smartphones and social media. He added that most books sold in Afghanistan are printed in Kabul or imported from Iran.
According to vendors, books legally sold in the country mainly cover religion, economics, management, English language studies, literature, engineering, journalism, agriculture, psychology, and social sciences. While many of these titles are available in libraries, books in the Uzbek language remain scarce.
Booksellers also said Taliban authorities have banned the sale and reading of more than 100 titles, including books related to human rights, women’s rights, and democracy.
Earlier reports from the United Nations Security Council had warned that Afghanistan is losing over $1bn annually due to restrictions imposed on women and girls. According to UN assessments, around 80% of Afghan women are excluded from education, employment, and vocational training, significantly weakening the country’s economic performance and long-term social development.
