A number of youth in 10 provinces of Afghanistan say that despite having bank accounts, difficulties accessing cash when needed, problems with ATMs (Automated Teller Machines), and a lack of trust caused by previous unsuccessful experiences with the banking system have led them to prefer keeping their money at home. They say this increases the risk of theft and spending money too quickly, while also making it more difficult to save.
For this report, 18 youth between the ages of 20 and 35, including 10 women and eight men, were interviewed. Among them, 10 have bachelor’s degrees, while eight are 12th-grade graduates. They have had bank accounts for between one and 10 years, but say they do not save their money in banks.
The findings of these interviews show that 11 youth cited immediate access to money, six cited a lack of trust in banks, and one cited concerns about banking problems as the main reasons for keeping money at home.
Immediate access to money; the main reason for keeping money at home
For some youth, keeping cash at home means having quick access to it when needed. They say problems with withdrawing money from banks have led some of them to prefer keeping their money at home.
Rohullah Momand, a 34-year-old from Nangarhar, says the need for cash for daily expenses and concerns about access to banking services are among the reasons he keeps money at home.
“Sometimes I worry about possible problems with accessing banking services and withdrawing money. Because of problems in Afghanistan’s banking system, I worry that we may not be able to access our money easily when we need it. Once, I experienced a delay in receiving my money. Although the problem was later resolved, this experience reduced my trust in the banking system to some extent,” he says.
Shabnam, a 26-year-old teacher from Kapisa, also says she has had a bank account for about five years, but an experience she had when she urgently needed money led her to stop saving money in the bank.
“The main reason I keep cash at home is a lack of trust in the bank. When I saved money in the bank for a while, there was a time when I urgently needed my money. I went to the bank for almost two days, but they told me there was no money available. When I needed it, I could not get my money. This caused me to stop saving money in my bank account,” she adds.
Ahmad Basit, a 26-year-old from Kabul and an employee at a private company, also says: “I have had a bank account for four years. I once went to withdraw money, but because of the withdrawal restriction and the large crowd at the bank, I could not get the money I needed. This experience led me to keep cash at home.”
Saving in banks; a habit that has not yet become common among youth
According to all 18 interviewees, the culture of saving money in banks has not been sufficiently promoted in Afghanistan.
Faiz, a 28-year-old from Faryab, says that due to people’s negative experiences with banks and a lack of trust in them, even when people want to save money, they prefer to keep it at home.
“Saving is something that has not been promoted as a culture so far. In our country, even when people want to save money, most of them keep it at home because they do not trust banks,” he says.
Madina, a 28-year-old from Farah, also says: “I think people are not very used to saving money in banks and prefer to keep their money themselves. When money is at home, sometimes it is spent more quickly. But when it is in the bank, I am less likely to spend it and can save more. This is because saving has not become part of the culture, and people do not know about the advantages of saving money in banks.”
ATMs problems; a barrier to accessing money
ATMs are one of the main ways people access money through the banking system. However, the experiences of the interviewees show that the irregular performance of ATMs and limited access to them have reduced their trust in keeping money in banks.
Among the 18 youth interviewed, three said they were satisfied with ATM services, five said there was no cash available in ATMs, eight complained that ATMs were not working in different locations, and two said they did not have access to ATMs.
Mustafa, a 35-year-old from Nuristan, has had a bank account for about four years. He says that sometimes he has been unable to receive his money on time because of problems with banks or ATMs.
“Sometimes I have been unable to receive my money from my account on time, and it has taken some time. Sometimes it has been because of a problem with the bank, and sometimes because of a problem with an ATM. I have had to wait,” he says.
Lack of digital payments; another challenge for youth
The lack or limited availability of digital payment services is another problem that the interviewed youth emphasized.
Twelve youth said the lack of digital payments causes them to waste a lot of time and forces them to use cash for transactions. The other six said that if digital payments were available, their transactions would become easier.
Hasenat Bawar, a 21-year-old from Kabul, says the lack of digital payments is one of the challenges people face and that expanding these services could make the banking system easier to use.
“One of the challenges people face is the lack of digital payments. We cannot carry cash with us for small expenses. If this service is provided, our work will become easier. If ATM services become easier to access according to people’s needs at any time and place, people would be more willing to keep their money in banks and use ATMs,” she adds.
Mohammad Yama, a 25-year-old from Mazar-e-Sharif, also considers digital payments a way to make transactions easier.
“Digital payments are a very good option that is gradually becoming common in our society. When you have an electronic card, the system works very easily through your account, and there is less hassle,” he adds.
Keeping money at home; easy access but concerns about security
For some youth, keeping money at home is an advantage because it provides quick access to money. However, this also has consequences.
Nine youth interviewed said that when money is kept at home, it is spent on unnecessary purchases, making it more difficult to save. In contrast, nine said that having money available at home has a positive effect on them.
However, all 18 youth interviewed said they are concerned about the safety of the money they keep at home and worry that it could be stolen. Mohaddesa, a 24-year-old from central Daikundi, says,
“My main concern is that the money could be stolen or lost. When a large amount of money is kept at home, there is always a concern that its security could be at risk. In addition to the theft of money, keeping it at home could also put me and my family members at risk. During a robbery or theft, not only could the money be stolen, but a confrontation could also happen, and maybe something much worse than losing the money could happen.”
Youth: We are ready to save in banks if services improve
Despite the existing problems, all 18 youth interviewed said they would be willing to keep their money in banks if banking services improve.
Mustafa, from Kabul, says that if banking services improve, he would be willing to keep part of his money in a bank:
“If banking services become fast and reliable, if money can be received easily and on time, and if access through ATMs improves, I would be willing to keep part of my money in a bank. But at the moment, most of my income is spent on household expenses, and there is not much money left for savings.”
However, Badrullah Danesh, a manager at a private bank, says a lack of trust in the banking system is one of the reasons youth keep their money at home. He says limited access to banking services and communication problems with ATMs also play a role.
“One of the reasons youth keep their money at home is a lack of trust in banks. Another reason is that not all banking services are accessible everywhere in Afghanistan. ATMs are compatible with the banking system, but most of the time there is no connection because of communication and network problems,” he says.
Keeping money at home and its economic consequences
Keeping money at home not only affects individuals’ saving decisions but also has wider economic consequences, according to experts.
Essa Mobarez, an economic expert, says money kept at home does not enter the financial system or contribute to investment, while bank deposits can provide financial resources for investment and help increase domestic production.
“Money kept at home is outside the flow of money. When we deposit money in banks, it contributes to investment, increases domestic production, and allows money to be invested in ways that can help it grow. When foreign investors come to invest, they first look at how stable the investment environment is and what activities banks are carrying out. Banks should also consider their policies from an economic perspective,” he explains.
Meanwhile, Hasibullah Noori, a spokesperson for the central bank, says public trust in the banking system is important to the bank and that efforts are being made to improve people’s access to banking services. He adds that expanding electronic payments and financial inclusion are among the programs the central bank is pursuing in cooperation with commercial banks.
“Regarding problems with ATMs, there are different reasons. An ATM may have communication problems with the network, or it may need to be refilled with cash. It may also stop providing services for a short time or face limitations in providing services. Da Afghanistan Bank follows up on these issues through monitoring and coordination with other banks,” he adds.
However, a World Bank report on Afghanistan published in May 2026 shows that despite continued economic growth, limited access to financial resources remains one of the main obstacles to private-sector activity in Afghanistan. The World Bank has emphasized that improving access to financial resources is necessary for creating economic opportunities and sustainable growth in the country.
Based on the latest specific World Bank data on ATMs, the number of active ATMs in Afghanistan reached 331 up to June 2025.
Reporter: Liza Omari
