UNFPA has long been working to strengthen the statistics system in Afghanistan and has conducted one of the largest surveys in the country, both in terms of sample size and coverage, i.e. the Socio-demographic and Economic Survey (SDES).

To further ingrain a culture of statistics and demography in Afghanistan the UNFPA supported the Faculty of Economy at Kabul University to include Demographic Studies in its curricula.  Specifically, the support is expected to strengthen the theoretical principles and practical foundation of statistics and demographic courses at the Kabul University.

UNFPA also organized a short-term course for the professors of Faculty of Economy on demographic data management and utilization, with a special focus on further analysis and the use of demographic data for decision-making and planning.

The training was attended with enthusiasm by employees from the Afghan government, including the Central Statistics Organization of Afghanistan and lecturers from the Faculty of Economics.