Afghanistan: Provinces, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information

Provinces

The population of the provinces of Afghanistan according to the last census and latest official projections.

Name	Abbr.	Native	Capital	Area A (km²)	Population Census (C) 1979-06-23	Population Projection (P) 2006-09-21	Population Projection (P) 2020-09-21
Afghanistan	AFG	افغانستان	Kābul	652,864	13,086,630	22,575,900	31,390,200		→
Badakhshān	BDS	بدخشان	Fayzābād	44,836	497,758	823,000	1,054,100	4483600	→
Bādghīs	BDG	بادغیس	Qal'ah-ye Now	20,794	209,526	429,500	549,600	2079400	→
Baghlān	BGL	بغلان	Pul-e Khumrī	18,255	566,096	779,000	1,014,600	1825500	→
Balkh	BLK	بلخ	Mazār-e Sharīf	16,186	580,146	1,096,100	1,509,200	1618600	→
Bāmyān	BAM	بامیان	Bāmyān	18,029	236,203	387,300	495,600	1802900	→
Dāykundī	DAK	دایکندی	Nīlī	17,501	258,758	399,600	516,500	1750100	→
Farāh	FRH	فراه	Farāh	49,339	234,621	438,000	563,000	4933900	→
Fāryāb	FYB	فاریاب	Meymaneh	20,798	541,706	858,600	1,109,200	2079800	→
Ghaznī	GHZ	غزنی	Ghaznī	22,460	646,623	1,062,600	1,362,500	2246000	→
Ghōr	GHR	غور	Chaghcharān	36,657	337,492	598,600	764,500	3665700	→
Helmand	HLM	هلمند	Lashkargāh	58,305	517,645	799,000	1,446,200	5830500	→
Herāt	HRT	هرات	Herāt	55,868	793,198	1,578,200	2,140,700	5586800	→
Jowzjān	JZJ	جوزجان	Sheberghān	11,292	305,080	461,700	602,100	1129200	→
Kābul	KBL	کابل	Kābul	4,524	1,373,572	3,138,100	5,204,700	452400	→
Kandahār	KDH	کندهار	Kandahār	54,844	574,954	1,011,700	1,399,600	5484400	→
Kāpīsā	KAP	کاپیسا	Maḥmūd-e Rāqī	1,908	250,553	382,600	488,300	190800	→
Khōst [Khost]	KHS	خوست	Khōst	4,235	207,206	498,000	636,500	423500	→
Kunarhā [Kunar]	KNR	کنرها	Asad Ābād	4,926	222,902	390,200	499,400	492600	→
Kunduz	KDZ	کندز	Kunduz	8,081	555,437	851,300	1,136,700	808100	→
Laghmān	LGM	لغمان	Mehtarlām	3,978	259,301	386,400	493,500	397800	→
Lōgar	LGR	لوگر	Pul-e 'Alam	4,568	202,761	339,700	434,400	456800	→
Nangarhār	NGH	ننگرهار	Jalālābād	7,641	745,986	1,289,000	1,701,700	764100	→
Nīmrōz [Nimruz]	NIM	نیمروز	Zaranj	42,410	103,634	141,400	183,600	4241000	→
Nūristān	NUR	نورستان	Pārūn	9,267	78,569	128,400	163,800	926700	→
Paktīkā	PTK	پکتیکا	Sharan	19,516	245,229	377,100	775,500	1951600	→
Paktiyā [Paktia]	PTY	پکتیا	Gardēz	5,583	288,432	477,500	612,000	558300	→
Panjshīr	PNJ	پنجشیر	Bāzārak	3,772	95,222	133,200	169,900	377200	→
Parwān	PWN	پروان	Chārīkār	5,715	409,528	573,100	737,700	571500	→
Samangān	SMG	سمنگان	Aībak	13,438	261,693	334,800	430,500	1343800	→
Sar-e Pul [Sar-e Pol]	SPL	سرپل	Sar-e Pul	16,386	324,528	482,900	621,000	1638600	→
Takhār	TKR	تخار	Tāluqān	12,458	519,752	845,300	1,093,100	1245800	→
Urūzgān	URU	اروزگان	Tarīnkōt	11,474	177,600	303,600	436,100	1147400	→
Wardak (Maīdān Wardak)	WRD	وردک	Maīdān Shahr	10,348	285,557	517,200	660,300	1034800	→
Zābul	ZAB	زابل	Qalāt	17,472	179,362	263,200	384,300	1747200	→

The 1979 census results do not include about 2.5 million nomades (so-called kuchies). The projection figures do not include about 1.5 million kuchis.
The projections are based on the household listing performed from 2003 to 2005; the reliability of the figures is low.
(2006) (2020) Central Statistics Office Afghanistan (web).

Major Cities

	Name	Adm.	Population Projection (P) 2020-09-21
1	Kābul	KBL	4,434,600
2	Herāt	HRT	574,300
3	Kandahār	KDH	523,300
4	Mazār-e Sharīf	BLK	484,500
5	Jalālābād	NGH	271,900
6	Kunduz	KDZ	189,300
7	Pul-e Khumrī	BGL	123,700
8	Meymaneh	FYB	96,000
9	Sheberghān	JZJ	93,600
10	Lashkargāh	HLM	89,300

Contents: Cities & Towns

The population of all Afghan cities and towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants according to the last census and latest official projections.

Name	Native	Adm.	Population Census (C) 1979-06-23	Population Projection (P) 2006-09-21	Population Projection (P) 2020-09-21
Aībak [Haibak]	ایبک	SMG	4,938	24,000	33,900
Andkhōy [Andkhoy]	اندخوی	FYB	13,137	26,700	37,900
Āqchah [Aqcha]	آقچه	JZJ	8,876	19,800	28,000
Asad Ābād [Asadabad]	اسعد آباد	KNR	2,089	11,200	15,900
Baghlān	بغلان	BGL	39,228	56,200	79,600
Balkh	بلخ	BLK	7,242	12,700	18,000
Bāmyān	بامیان	BAM	7,355	10,400	14,700
Bāzārak	بازارک	PNJ	...	...	...
Chaghcharān	چغچران	GHR	2,974	5,700	8,100
Chāhāb	چاه‌آب	TKR	10,827	19,500	27,600
Chārīkār	چاریکار	PWN	22,424	46,600	65,900
Dowlat Ābād	دولت‌آباد	BLK	6,111	8,900	12,500
Farāh	فراه	FRH	18,797	30,200	42,800
Fayzābād	فیض‌آباد	BDS	9,098	27,200	38,600
Gardēz	گردیز	PTY	9,550	20,000	28,300
Gereshk [Girishk]	گرشک	HLM	5,046	8,400	11,100
Ghaznī	غزنی	GHZ	30,425	48,700	69,000
Ghōrīān [Ghurian]	غوریان	HRT	12,404	28,300	40,100
Ḥazrat-e Imām Ṣāḥib [Imam Sahib]	حضرت امام صاحب	KDZ	12,655	28,800	40,700
Herāt	هرات	HRT	140,323	349,000	574,300	→
Jalālābād	جلال‌آباد	NGH	53,915	168,600	271,900	→
Kābul [Kabul]	کابل	KBL	913,164	2,536,300	4,434,600	→
Kandahār	کندهار	KDH	178,409	324,800	523,300
Khān Ābād	خان‌آباد	KDZ	26,803	33,700	47,600
Khōst	خوست	KHS	1,865	9,500	13,400
Khulm	خلم	BLK	28,078	40,800	57,800
Kunduz	کندز	KDZ	53,251	117,500	189,300
Kushk [Kushk]	کشک	HRT	5,410	14,000	19,800
Lashkargāh	لشکرگاه	HLM	21,600	35,900	89,300
Maḥmūd-e Rāqī [Mahmud-i-Raqi]	محمود راقی	KAP	1,200	1,200	1,800
Maīdān Shahr	میدان‌شهر	WRD	2,048	2,400	3,500
Mazār-e Sharīf [Mazar-i-Sharif]	مزار شریف	BLK	103,372	300,600	484,500	→
Mehtarlām	مهترلام	LGM	3,987	4,200	5,900
Meymaneh [Maymana]	میمنه	FYB	38,251	67,800	96,000	→
Nīlī	نیلی	DAK	...	...	...
Paghmān	پغمان	KBL	19,135	17,600	24,900
Pārūn	پارون	NUR	...	...	...
Pul-e 'Alam [Pul-i-Alam]	پل علم	LGR	3,896	4,500	6,300
Pul-e Khumrī	پلخمری	BGL	31,101	87,400	123,700
Qal'ah-ye Now	قلعه نو	BDG	5,340	12,000	17,000
Qal'ah-ye Zāl	قلعه ذال	KDZ	11,632	15,300	21,800
Qalāt	قلات	ZAB	5,946	9,900	13,000
Rustāq	رستاق	TKR	6,629	10,500	14,900
Sānchārak	سانچارک	SPL	7,744	10,400	14,700
Sar-e Pul	سرپل	SPL	15,699	24,900	35,200
Sharan [Sharana]	شرن	PTK	1,398	2,200	5,100
Sheberghān	شبرغان	JZJ	18,955	66,200	93,600
Shōlgarah [Shulgareh]	شولگره	BLK	5,842	8,600	12,100
Tāluqān	تالقان	TKR	19,925	59,300	83,900
Tarīnkōt	ترینکوت	URU	3,362	5,500	7,800
Yangī Qal'ah	ینگی قلعه	TKR	4,080	7,800	11,100
Zaranj	زرنج	NIM	6,477	21,400	30,400

The projections are based on the household listing performed from 2003 to 2005; the reliability of the figures is low.
(2006) (2020) Central Statistics Office Afghanistan (web).