Drivers of rural household poverty in Sayed Abad district, Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan

Abstract

Most of Afghanistan’s population lives in rural areas where poverty remains a persistent challenge, shaped by conflict, environmental stress, and limited livelihood opportunities. This study examines the factors driving household poverty in two villages, Meli Khel and Tarakhel, in the Sayed Abad district of Maidan Wardak province. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on the Likert scale, which was administered to 105 household heads. These were selected using the Cochran formula and a cluster sampling approach to enhance representativeness. A total of 113 questionnaires were distributed to household heads, who were chosen because of their role as breadwinners and their involvement in agriculture. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27. The findings show that prolonged warfare was the factor that exacerbated poverty the most (mean score 4.79), followed closely by climate change and drought (4.65), declining agricultural productivity (4.59), unemployment (4.57), the depletion of groundwater resources (4.51) and widespread illiteracy (4.50). These results highlight how conflict and environmental pressures, combined with limited economic diversification and low educational attainment, perpetuate rural poverty. Policy interventions should prioritise climate-resilient agricultural development, job creation, improved water management and stronger education systems in order to mitigate these interconnected challenges and support the development of sustainable rural livelihoods in Afghanistan.