On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul practically without resistance. President Ashraf Ghani left the country, the republic backed for two decades by the United States collapsed, and thousands of Afghans crowded at the airport trying to escape. Five years later, the Taliban regime has consolidated its control over Afghanistan without any internal opposition capable of contesting its power.
The balance presents two opposing realities. The end of the open war has reduced everyday violence in much of the country, and many Afghans acknowledge that they can now travel on roads that were previously dangerous. At the same time, the Taliban have built one of the most restrictive systems in the world for women, have reduced the space for media, and keep the country trapped between poverty, diplomatic isolation, and dependence on foreign aid.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, states that the last five years have shown how much the population values peace after decades of war. However, it warns that stability will not be sustainable without inclusive institutions, respect for fundamental rights, and economic opportunities.
More than a hundred decrees against women and girls
The deepest transformation imposed by the Taliban affects women. Since August 2021, the de facto authorities have approved more than a hundred decrees and provisions that limit their rights, according to UN Women.
The restrictions reach education, employment, freedom of movement, access to public spaces, and political participation. Women have been removed from most positions in the Administration, do not hold relevant positions in the regime's institutions, and need, in numerous circumstances, the company of a male relative to move around.
The latest data from UN Women shows the degree of isolation. More than half of the Afghan women surveyed leave home at most once or twice a month and nearly three out of four do not feel safe on the street without a male companion. Seven out of ten rate their mental health as poor or very poor.
The exclusion also has an economic dimension: only 7% of women are employed, compared to 84% of men. The Taliban claim that they respect women's rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, and reject that women are deprived of security or protection.
A generation of girls outside the classrooms
Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world that formally prohibits girls and women from studying beyond primary education. Secondary schools closed their doors to female students in March 2022, and universities were banned for women in December of that same year.
The UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary education, 200,000 more than a year before. The figure could approach four million by 2030 if the prohibitions continue.
The setback has eliminated a good part of the advances made during the previous two decades. In 2021, there were nearly one million girls enrolled in secondary education. Now, the adolescents who completed primary education after the return of the Taliban have never been able to access the next educational stage.
The decision also threatens the entire system. The prohibition of female teachers teaching male students exacerbates the lack of educators, while the ban on female medical training may reduce the number of doctors and nurses available to care for women in the coming years.
Less war, but violence and repression persist
The Taliban present the reduction of armed conflict as their main achievement. After twenty years of war against the Afghan government and international troops, large-scale fighting has decreased and security has improved in numerous areas.
Violence, however, has not disappeared. The Afghan branch of the Islamic State continues to carry out attacks, and the deterioration of relations with Pakistan has caused border clashes with hundreds of civilian casualties. In the days leading up to the anniversary, two Taliban officials have also been killed in the province of Badakhshan.
Human rights organizations document, furthermore, arbitrary detentions, torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial executions. Journalists, activists, protesters, and former members of the security forces are among the most exposed groups. The space for independent press has shrunk and numerous media professionals have left their positions or the country.
In July 2025, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against the Taliban supreme leader, Hibatulá Ajundzada, and the president of the Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for the alleged persecution of women and girls as a crime against humanity. Both remain at large.
An economy that grows without improving the lives of the population
The Afghan economy has left behind the collapse suffered after 2021, but the recovery does not translate into a general improvement in living conditions. The World Bank estimates that the gross domestic product grew by 4.8%, driven by domestic demand and the massive return of citizens from Iran and Pakistan.
However, the return of about 3.7 million Afghans and the rapid increase in the population have caused GDP per capita to fall by 5.6%. Inflation reached 7.6% in March 2026 and the lack of investment, difficulties in accessing financing, and the decline of international aid limit job creation.
The consequence is a persistent humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimates that 21.9 million people, around 45% of the population, will need assistance in 2026. More than 3.7 million children suffer from acute malnutrition and hundreds of health centers have closed or reduced their services due to lack of funds.
A regime recognized only by Russia
The Taliban maintain practical relations with countries such as China, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but have not obtained the international recognition they claim. Russia became in July 2025 the first and, so far, only state to formally recognize the Taliban government.
The rest of the international community maintains contacts with Kabul to manage humanitarian aid, regional security, deportations, or the fight against terrorism, but conditions full normalization on the creation of a more inclusive government and the restoration of women's rights.
Five years after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban govern a country with fewer fights and a firmer territorial control. But they also lead a society in which half of the population has been excluded from education, power, and a good part of economic activity. The stability achieved by arms has yet to transform into international legitimacy or a viable future for millions of Afghans.