<p>Livelihood strategies are essential for households to meet their needs, including activities such as agriculture and off-farm employment. Diversification of livelihoods, or a diversity sources of income, is crucial for improving stability and resilience in developing countries. Livelihood strategies also play a key role in poverty reduction and asset development in Afghanistan. This research investigates livelihood diversity and the determinants of livelihood strategies among rural household heads in Kandahar, Afghanistan, focusing on demographic, socio-economic, and geographical/resource factors. The study utilized the Simpson Index and Multinomial Logit (MNL) models to analyze cross-sectional survey data collected from 384 rural household heads, to explain the patterns of livelihood diversification and the determinants influencing livelihood strategies among these households. We found satisfactory level of diversification (0.4446) and identified significant determinants influencing livelihood strategies, with 68.5% of households relying on diverse sources of income. The main factors influencing diversification were gender, age, household size, education, agricultural land size and occupation. Higher education levels correlated with enhanced non-farm employment, while larger households’ size and agricultural land size facilitated engagement in other income-generating activities. Although, influenced diversification, the impacts varied according to household structure. The findings suggest that policies aimed at enhancing education, agricultural land size, and labor availability may improve economic resilience and contribute in poverty alleviation, both in Afghanistan and in other conflict-affected countries.</p>