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Kabul

#87 largest metro areaAsia

In Afghanistan

Metro population
4,601,000
0.055% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+4.25%
About 536 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
16,731/km²
275 km² metro area
City proper
4,434,550
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Kabul

With a city-proper population of 4,434,550 and metropolitan area exceeding 4.6 million, Kabul is among Asia's largest urban centers. The city sits at an elevation of 1,798 meters and maintains a notably high population density of 16,731 people per km². An annual growth rate of 4.3% indicates ongoing expansion.

Kabul was established in 1200 and is served by Kabul International Airport. The city is administered by mayor Hamdullah Nomani.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Afghanistan
Continent
Asia
World rank
#87 of 140
Share of country
10.5%
Founded
1200
Leadership
Hamdullah Nomani
Elevation
1,798 m
Coordinates
34.528, 69.172

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Kabul International AirportKBL

    6 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Kabul4.6M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Kabul compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Kabul4.6M

Population Trend in Afghanistan

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

020M40M60M80M100M120M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Afghanistan's national population, not Kabul's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Afghanistan population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
19507,776,176
19609,035,043
197011,290,128
198013,169,311
199012,045,660
200020,130,327
201028,284,089
202039,068,979
203050,039,402
204063,347,870
205076,885,135
206090,362,736
2070103,416,642
2080114,673,795
2090123,304,496
2100130,216,739

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Kabul Population FAQ

What is the population of Kabul?

Kabul's metropolitan area has about 4,601,000 people, making it the 87th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Kabul's city and metro population?

About 4,434,550 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 4,601,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Kabul growing or shrinking?

Kabul is growing at +4.25% a year.

What share of Afghanistan's population lives in Kabul?

Kabul's metro area holds about 10.5% of Afghanistan's total population.

How densely populated is Kabul?

Kabul has roughly 16,731 people per km² across a metro area of about 275 km².

Which airports serve Kabul?

The nearest major airports are Kabul International Airport (KBL).

Which country is Kabul in?

Kabul is in Afghanistan, in Asia.

Explore More Cities

All 140 cities →Afghanistan country profile →