In shortThree calendars are used in Afghanistan. The Hijri Shamsi follows the sun and is the most used; the Hijri Qamari follows the moon and sets the religious dates, Ramadan and the Eids; the Gregorian is used with the rest of the world. Since 2022 the fiscal year follows the Shamsi year, while, according to a press report, government letters follow the Qamari year.
Three ways to count a year
| Calendar | Follows | A year | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hijri Shamsi | the sun | 365 or 366 days | 12: six of 31 days, five of 30, the last of 29 or 30 |
| Hijri Qamari | the moon | 354 or 355 days | 12 of 29 or 30 days |
| Gregorian | the sun | 365 or 366 days | 12 of 28 to 31 days |
The country's calendar year counts from the migration of the Prophet to Medina, the Hijra.2 Both Hijri calendars count from it, but the lunar year is about 11 days shorter, so the Qamari count runs ahead: the Shamsi year 1405 began on 21 March 2026, which was 2 Shawwal 1447.1
Today
The Qamari date is calculated; in Afghanistan it can differ by a day.
Hijri Shamsi: the most used calendar
The Shamsi year begins on 1 Hamal, at the March equinox.1 In Afghanistan its months carry the Arabic names of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and it is the most widely used calendar in the country.3
Sources disagree on when it became official: Wikipedia, citing the Encyclopaedia Iranica, says Afghanistan legally adopted it in 1922;3 the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit wrote in 2007 that it had been "in use officially since 1957".4
The constitution of 2004 set it for the state: "The basis for state offices shall be the solar calendar."2 In January 2022 the cabinet of the current government moved the fiscal year to the Shamsi year: it now begins on 1 Hamal, 21 March, instead of 1 January.5
Calendar The Shamsi months with their Qamari and Gregorian dates, for every year.Hijri Qamari: the calendar of religious dates
The Qamari months follow the moon: each has 29 or 30 days, and the year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year.1 So Ramadan and the two Eids come about 11 days earlier each year and pass through all the seasons: by calculation, 1 Ramadan 1447 fell on 18 February 2026, and 1 Ramadan 1448 falls on 8 February 2027.1 It is the calendar of religious events and holidays.4
According to the BBC, the solar calendar was used in Afghanistan "until 1999", when the Taliban authorities of the time replaced it with the lunar one; in February 2002 the interim government of Hamid Karzai restored the solar calendar by decree.4 In March 2022 the newspaper Hasht-e Subh reported a letter from the current government's Administrative Office saying that "all administrative communications should be arranged based on the lunar year".6
This site calculates the Qamari dates with the Umm al-Qura table; because the dates announced in Afghanistan can differ by a day, it lets you move them a day either way.1
Gregorian: the calendar of the world
The Gregorian calendar is used in international relations.4 Until 2022 Afghanistan's fiscal year followed it too, from January to December.5
Date converter Convert a date between the Shamsi, Qamari and Gregorian calendars.The start of the year in all three calendars
| Hijri Shamsi | Hijri Qamari | Gregorian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Hamal 1405 | 2 Shawwal 1447 | 21 March 2026 |
| 26 Jawza 1405 | 1 Muharram 1448 | 16 June 2026 |
| 11 Jadi 1405 | 23 Rajab 1448 | 1 January 2027 |
Sources
- 1 This site's calendar engine, the same as the date converter's: the Shamsi year by its 33-year rule, the Qamari dates by the Umm al-Qura table, both checked against the calendars in browsers (ICU). Waqt’s calendar engine
- 2 Afghanistan's constitution of 2004, Article 18, on the country's calendar. Constitute Project, “Afghanistan’s Constitution of 2004”, Article 18. constituteproject.org/constitution/Afghanistan_2004 (2026-11-12)
- 3 The solar Hijri calendar, with the month names used in Afghanistan. Wikipedia, “Solar Hijri calendar” (its date of 1922 is cited to Encyclopaedia Iranica, “Calendars”). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Hijri_calendar (2026-11-12)
- 4 A research compilation on the calendars used in Afghanistan, quoting the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (2007) and the BBC (2002). Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland, “Afghanistan: information on the calendar used by the Taliban” (12 April 2010), quoting the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (April 2007) and BBC News, “Afghanistan re-adopts solar calendar” (5 February 2002). justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/06/11/calendar.pdf (2026-11-12)
- 5 A news report on the cabinet's decision about the fiscal year. Afghan Online Press, “Taliban changes its fiscal from Gregorian calendar to Hijri Shamsi” (11 January 2022). aopnews.com/taliban/taliban-changes-its-fiscal-from-gregorian-calendar-to-hijri-shamsi (2026-11-12)
- 6 A news report on the letter about administrative communications. Hasht-e Subh, “Taliban Changes Solar Year to Hijri Lunar Calendar” (26 March 2022). 8am.media/eng/taliban-changes-solar-year-to-hijri-lunar-calendar (2026-11-12)
Every number in this article comes from one of these sources or from Waqt's own calculations. Seen a mistake? Write to us