List of cities in Afghanistan


The only city in Afghanistan with over 1 million settled residents is the nation's capital, Kabul. According to Afghanistan's National Statistics and Information Authority, an estimated 36,435,197 citizens are physically residing in Afghanistan as of September 2025. Over 4 million natives of Afghanistan are temporarily residing in Iran and approximately 2 million in Pakistan, and there are at least a million more among the Afghan diaspora around the world. This makes Afghanistan's population over 40 million people.

List

The chart below shows 26 cities of Afghanistan with an estimated population of over 100,000 people, by order of population. The estimates are from September 2025, provided by NSIA.
No.CityProvincePopulationCitation
1Kabul Kabul5,333,284
2KandaharKandahar732,629
3HeratHerat673,273
4Mazar-e-SharifBalkh568,013
5KunduzKunduz413,996
6JalalabadNangarhar318,733
7TaloqanTakhar284,990
8Pul-e-KhumriBaghlan230,112
9CharikarParwan222,751
10BaghlanBaghlan219,073
11SheberghanJowzjan213,411
12GhazniGhazni205,965
13LashkargahHelmand191,458
14KhostKhost170,615
15MehtarlamLaghman160,123
16BalkhBalkh148,972
17FarahFarah141,091
18Sar-e-PulSar-e-Pul134,809
19Pul-e-AlamLogar130,793
20AybakSamangan130,409
21FirozkohGhor129,521
22TerinkotUruzgan127,095
23Spin BoldakKandahar123,945
24MaimanaFaryab108,049
25GardezPaktia105,278
26BamyanBamyan103,909

Ancient names

Ancient names of places or cities in Afghanistan:
Current city and regionAncient name
KabulKophene, Gaofū, Kābūrā
GhazniGhaznīn, Ghazna
BalkhBakhlo, Bactra, Bokhdī
BamyanBamikan
HeratHaraiva, Harī, Aria
LaghmanLampaka
JalalabadAdinapur
KandaharArachosia
LashkargahBost, Bust
ZaranjZranka, Zarangia, Drangiana
KunduzDrapsaka, Walwalij