Despite a wave of violence, most Afghans believe their government is in control of the country and oppose a return to the Taliban, according to a new survey.
The study comes as concern mounts in the West for Afghanistan's future. The US is preparing to withdraw most of its troops this year, ending a war launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
But the survey by the firm ATR Consulting found 80 per cent of Afghans thought the government was in control.
There were similarly strong levels of trust in the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, two institutions rebuilt after the 2001 fall of the Taliban regime.
"This was surprising to us. We had a lot of assumptions before starting this study," said Lola Cecchinel, a French expert on Afghanistan who heads research for ATR Consulting.
"There is a widespread narrative about Afghanistan, about there not being any progress in the past 11 years.
"A lot of people are saying that the country is going to fall apart."
Cecchinel was presenting the study at the Center for National Policy, a Washington think tank.
She said that outsiders' perceptions of security may be coloured by high-profile attacks in Kabul, such as an assault last month on a popular Lebanese restaurant that left dead 21 people, including 13 foreigners.
By contrast, the findings showed "extremely high" levels of trust in national institutions and wide agreement that progress has been made since the Western-backed government took over from the Taliban.
Only 12.7 per cent of men - and just 1.6 per cent of women - supported a return of Taliban rule across Afghanistan.
The Taliban imposed an austere brand of Islam during its 1996-2001 regime, including depriving women of virtually all activities outside the house.
