Identifying Key Components of Underdevelopment in Rural Bamyan, Afghanistan: An Exploratory Factor Analysis

Rural areas of Bamyan province, Afghanistan, epitomize the paradox of underdevelopment amidst potential. This study employs exploratory factor analysis to systematically diagnose the multidimensional drivers of this crisis. The statistical population of this study was 14,315 households in the study areas. A total of 148 questionnaires were distributed among the rural households using Cochran’s formula. Multi-stage sampling was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS through exploratory factor analysis. Results indicated that the causes of underdevelopment include seven key factors: Socio-economic challenges, lack of basic facilities, insufficient infrastructure, resistance to innovation and change, communication weaknesses, managerial problems, tendency towards urbanization, and geographical challenges, which explained 59.3% of the total variance. The findings of this study can be effectively applied to policy-making and rural development planning in Afghanistan and other developing countries.