List of provinces of Afghanistan with details such as ISO codes, capitals, languages, population, and area.
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (Persian: ولایت Wilayat). Each province is subdivided into districts, and districts are further divided into villages. The provinces serve as the primary administrative divisions of the country.
Here’s the full list of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan (as of 2004 onward):
- Badakhshan
- Badghis
- Baghlan
- Balkh
- Bamyan
- Daykundi
- Farah
- Faryab
- Ghazni
- Ghor
- Helmand
- Herat
- Jowzjan
- Kabul
- Kandahar
- Kapisa
- Khost
- Kunar
- Kunduz
- Laghman
- Logar
- Nangarhar
- Nimruz
- Nuristan
- Oruzgan (Uruzgan)
- Paktia
- Paktika
- Panjshir
- Parwan
- Samangan
- Sar-e Pol
- Takhar
- Wardak (Maidan Wardak)
- Zabul
📌 The newest provinces are Daykundi (separated from Oruzgan in 2004) and Panjshir (separated from Parwan in 2004).
Key Details of Afghan Provinces
| Province | Capital | Population (2004 est.) | Area (km²) | Languages | Districts | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badakhshan | Fayzabad | 889,700 | 44,059 | Dari, Pamiri, Pashto | 29 | North East |
| Badghis | Qala i Naw | 464,100 | 20,591 | Dari, Pashto | 7 | West |
| Baghlan | Puli Khumri | 848,500 | 21,118 | Dari, Uzbeki, Turkmeni, Pashto | 16 | North East |
| Balkh | Mazar-i-Sharif | 1,219,200 | 17,249 | Dari, Pashto | 15 | North West |
| Bamyan | Bamiyan | 418,500 | 14,175 | Dari | 7 | Central |
| Daykundi | Nili | 431,300 | 8,088 | Dari, Pashto | 8 | South West (from Oruzgan, 2004) |
| Farah | Farah | 474,300 | 48,471 | Pashto, Dari, Balochi | 11 | West |
| Faryab | Maymana | 931,800 | 20,293 | Uzbek, Dari, Pashto, Turkmen | 14 | North West |
| Ghazni | Ghazni | 1,149,400 | 22,915 | Pashto, Dari | 19 | South East |
| Ghor | Chaghcharan | 646,300 | 36,479 | Dari, Pashto | 10 | West |
| Helmand | Lashkar Gah | 1,441,769 | 58,584 | Pashto, Dari | 13 | South West |
| Herat | Herat | 1,744,700 | 54,778 | Dari, Pashto, Turkmeni | 15 | West |
| Jowzjan | Sheberghan | 503,100 | 11,798 | Uzbeki, Turkmeni, Pashto, Dari | 9 | North West |
| Kabul | Kabul | 3,691,400 | 4,462 | Dari, Pashto, Uzbeki, Turkmeni | 18 | Central |
| Kandahar | Kandahar | 1,127,000 | 54,022 | Pashto, Dari | 16 | South East |
| Kapisa | Mahmud-i-Raqi | 413,000 | 1,842 | Dari, Pashto, Pashai | 7 | Central |
| Khost | Khost | 537,800 | 4,152 | Pashto | 13 | South East |
| Kunar | Asadabad | 421,700 | 4,942 | Pashto | 15 | North East |
| Kunduz | Kunduz | 935,600 | 8,040 | Pashto, Dari, Uzbeki, Turkmeni | 7 | North East |
| Laghman | Mihtarlam | 417,200 | 3,843 | Pashto, Pashai, Nuristani, Dari | 5 | East |
| Logar | Pul-i-Alam | 367,000 | 3,880 | Pashto, Dari | 7 | Central |
| Nangarhar | Jalalabad | 1,409,600 | 7,727 | Pashto, Dari | 23 | East |
| Nimruz | Zaranj | 153,900 | 41,005 | Balochi, Pashto, Dari | 5 | South West |
| Nuristan | Parun | 138,600 | 9,225 | Nuristani, Pashto | 7 | North East |
| Oruzgan | Tarin Kowt | 328,000 | 22,696 | Pashto, Dari | 6 | Central |
| Paktia | Gardez | 516,300 | 6,432 | Pashto | 11 | South East |
| Paktika | Sharan | 407,100 | 19,482 | Pashto | 15 | South East |
| Panjshir | Bazarak | 143,700 | 3,610 | Dari, Pashto | 5 | North East (created in 2004 from Parwan) |
| Parwan | Charikar | 620,900 | 5,974 | Dari, Pashto | 9 | Central |
| Samangan | Aybak | 362,500 | 11,262 | Dari, Uzbeki | 5 | North West |
| Sar-e Pol | Sar-e Pol | 522,900 | 16,360 | Dari, Pashto, Uzbeki | 7 | North West |
| Takhar | Taloqan | 917,700 | 12,333 | Dari, Uzbeki, Pashto | 12 | North East |
| Wardak (Maidan Wardak) | Meydan Shahr | 558,400 | 9,934 | Pashto, Dari | 9 | Central |
| Zabul | Qalat | 284,600 | 17,343 | Pashto | 11 | South East |
📌 Interesting Notes
- Newest provinces: Daykundi (from Oruzgan, 2004) and Panjshir (from Parwan, 2004).
- Largest by area: Helmand Province (58,584 km²).
- Smallest by area: Kapisa Province (1,842 km²).
- Most populous: Kabul Province (3.6M in 2004; now >5M).
- Least populous: Nuristan (138,600).
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