Afghan Afghani Experiences Sharp Intraday Volatility Against US Dollar

Afghan Afghani Sees Sharp Intraday Volatility Against US Dollar

Afghanistan's informal currency markets experienced significant intraday volatility on March 2, 2026, with the US Dollar surging against the Afghan Afghani (AFN) across multiple provinces. Data aggregated from local financial tracking channels—which act as neutral, de facto economic indicators in the country's predominantly cash-based economy—showed the dollar climbing from the mid-65s to near 70 AFN within a single day's trading cycle.

In the capital's central exchange hub, live market tracker قیمت لحظه‌ای دالر کابل recorded early buying rates around 65.65 AFN, which steadily climbed to a peak buying rate of 67.80 AFN and a selling rate of 68.00 AFN. Similar fluctuations were reported by نرخ یاب سرای شهزاده کابل, a channel tracking Kabul's largest open-air currency exchange market, Sarai Shahzada, which recorded widespread buying at 66.80 and selling at 67.00.

Provincial markets exhibited even steeper climbs and high-volume transactions, according to the tracking network کابل دالر. Mazar-e-Sharif recorded the highest rates of the day, with the dollar trading at 69.60 AFN in a $30,000 transaction. Other major provincial trades included: Kabul: A massive block of $100,000 traded at 67.00 AFN. Ghazni: Trades reached as high as 68.00 AFN for a $20,000 exchange. Nangarhar: Exchanges closed at 67.20 AFN for $10,000. Kandahar: Transactions were completed at 66.80 AFN for $20,000.

Beyond the US Dollar to Afghani exchange rates, Kabul's Sarai Shahzada market also tracked the US Dollar against the Pakistani Rupee (PKR). Rates fluctuated slightly, opening with the dollar buying at 309.00 PKR and selling at 310.00 PKR, before widening to a 310.00 buying and 315.00 selling spread later in the session.