Provinces of Afghanistan: population and official figures
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces. The largest by population is Kabul with 5,590,000 people (16.1% of the total); the smallest is Nuristan with 189,000. Province figures come from the 2022-23 Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, carried out by UNICEF with the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) in all 34 provinces. Province populations shown are still the World Bank's 2016 estimates: NSIA's own provincial estimates could not be downloaded.
Who governs Afghanistan's provinces?
Provinces (34): De facto provincial governor and deputy governor appointed by the Taliban leadership. Run security, line departments and enforcement of de facto decrees; the 2004 Constitution's elected provincial councils no longer operate.
How local power works in Afghanistan · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 34 provinces, largest first
| # | Province | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kabul | 5,590,000 | 2016 | – |
| 2 | Herat | 2,417,000 | 2016 | – |
| 3 | Nangarhar | 1,940,000 | 2016 | – |
| 4 | Balkh | 1,695,000 | 2016 | – |
| 5 | Ghazni | 1,571,000 | 2016 | – |
| 6 | Kandahar | 1,568,000 | 2016 | – |
| 7 | Kunduz | 1,291,000 | 2016 | – |
| 8 | Faryab | 1,277,000 | 2016 | – |
| 9 | Takhar | 1,257,000 | 2016 | – |
| 10 | Badakhshan | 1,216,000 | 2016 | – |
| 11 | Helmand | 1,182,000 | 2016 | – |
| 12 | Baghlan | 1,164,000 | 2016 | – |
| 13 | Ghor | 883,000 | 2016 | – |
| 14 | Parwan | 850,000 | 2016 | – |
| 15 | Maidan Wardak | 763,000 | 2016 | – |
| 16 | Khost | 735,000 | 2016 | – |
| 17 | Sar-e-Pul | 716,000 | 2016 | – |
| 18 | Paktya | 706,000 | 2016 | – |
| 19 | Jawzjan | 691,000 | 2016 | – |
| 20 | Farah | 649,000 | 2016 | – |
| 21 | Badghis | 634,000 | 2016 | – |
| 22 | Kunar | 576,000 | 2016 | – |
| 23 | Bamyan | 572,000 | 2016 | – |
| 24 | Laghman | 570,000 | 2016 | – |
| 25 | Kapisa | 564,000 | 2016 | – |
| 26 | Paktika | 556,000 | 2016 | – |
| 27 | Uruzgan | 528,000 | 2016 | – |
| 28 | Daykundi | 514,000 | 2016 | – |
| 29 | Logar | 501,000 | 2016 | – |
| 30 | Samangan | 496,000 | 2016 | – |
| 31 | Zabul | 389,000 | 2016 | – |
| 32 | Nimroz | 211,000 | 2016 | – |
| 33 | Panjshir | 196,000 | 2016 | – |
| 34 | Nuristan | 189,000 | 2016 | – |
Cities: the largest cities of Afghanistan.
More on Afghanistan: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- UNICEF Afghanistan in collaboration with the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA): Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022-23, Survey Findings Report (province tables), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1469591017d8…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.