Map of major cities as identified by governmental organizations
[1]The only city inAfghanistan with over 1 million people is its capital,Kabul. The rest are smaller cities andtowns.Afghanistan's population is estimated to be between 36–50 million.[a] Of this, 26% were reported to be living inurban areas and the rest inrural areas or the countryside.[2]
The chart below shows 18 cities of Afghanistan with a population over 70,000, by order of population. Population estimates are from 2018.[10]
| City | Province | Population |
|---|
| Kabul | Kabul | 4,457,882 |
| Kandahar | Kandahar | 1,089,000 |
| Jalalabad | Nangarhar | 998,000 |
| Herat | Herat | 715,000 |
| Mazar-i-Sharif | Balkh | 635,000 |
| Lashkargah | Helmand | 280,381 |
| Kunduz | Kunduz | 268,893 |
| Taloqan | Takhar | 196,400 |
| Puli Khumri | Baghlan | 221,274 |
| Sheberghan | Jowzjan | 175,599 |
| Zaranj | Nimroz | 160,902 |
| Maymana | Faryab | 149,040 |
| Ghazni | Ghazni | 143,379 |
| Khost | Khost | 106,083 |
| Charikar | Parwan | 96,039 |
| Fayzabad | Badakhshan | 95,445 |
| Tarinkot | Uruzgan | 71,604 |
| Gardez | Paktia | 70,641 |
Ancient names of places or cities in Afghanistan:
| Current city and region | Ancient name |
|---|
| Kabul | Kophene,[11] Gaofū, Kābūrā |
| Ghazni | Ghaznīn, Ghazna |
| Balkh | Bakhlo, Bactra, Bokhdī |
| Bamyan | Bamikan[12] |
| Herat | Haraiva, Harī,Aria |
| Laghman | Lampaka[11] |
| Jalalabad | Adinapur[13] |
| Kandahar | Arachosia[11] |
| Lashkargah | Bost, Bust |
| Zaranj | Zranka, Zarangia,Drangiana |
| Kunduz | Drapsaka, Walwalij |
- Largest cities in Afghanistan
Kandahar is the second largest city and the former capital of Afghanistan. The city is located in southern Afghanistan.
[14][15][16] Herat is the third largest city and is located in western Afghanistan
Mazar-i-Sharif is the fourth largest city and is located in northern Afghanistan
Jalalabad, the fifth-largest city, located in eastern Afghanistan
- Smaller Afghan cities and towns
- ^ The last census was conducted in 1979. Sources disagree about the current population:
- The AfghaniNational Statistics and Information Authority gives an estimate of 35,695,527 for 2024.[2][3]
- TheEncyclopædia Britannica gives an estimate of 36,432,000 for 2025.[4]
- The BBC gives a figure of 38.3 million for 2023.[5]
- The CIA gives an estimate of 40,121,552 for 2024.[6]
- The UN gives an estimate of 42,045,000 for 2024.[7][8]
- The US Census Bureau provides an estimate of 49,552,566 for 2025.[9]
All figures are mid-year.
![Kandahar is the second largest city and the former capital of Afghanistan. The city is located in southern Afghanistan.[14][15][16]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAerial_view_of_a_section_of_Kandahar_in_2013.jpg)
