The removal of the Taliban from power in Afghanistan may have had some effect in this decrease, as nearly six million Afghans had returned to Afghanistan since 2002, almost a quarter of the country's population at the time.
Meski demikian, penggulingan rezim Taliban di Afghanistan diduga merupakan faktor utama menurunnya jumlah tersebut, karena hampir enam juta warga negara Afghan pulang ke Afghanistan sejak 2002, nyaris seperempat penduduk negara ini pada waktu itu.