Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Location	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Number	40 (as of Oct 2025)
Populations	169,240 (Upper Chitral District) – 4,333,770 (Peshawar District)
Areas	454 square kilometres (175 sq mi) (Torghar District) – 9,334 square kilometres (3,604 sq mi) (Dera Ismail Khan District)
Government	District Government City District Government Zilla Council
Subdivisions	Tehsils

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa represents the third-most populous administrative unit within the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by population, whilst remaining the smallest provincial territory by geographical extent.

Administratively, the province is subdivided into forty districts organised under seven divisions as of October 2025.

The demographic composition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for approximately 4.08 crore inhabitants as recorded during the 2023 census, representing roughly thirteen percent of Pakistan's total population according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics estimates.

Following the 2018 constitutional integration of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into the provincial framework, numerous new administrative subdivisions were established to accommodate the expanded territorial jurisdiction.

Notably, recent administrative developments include the formal establishment of Paharpur District through bifurcation of Dera Ismail Khan district in late 2025.

History

1901 to 2010

Districts have constituted a fundamental component of civil administration throughout the Indian subcontinent since the colonial era. Upon establishment of the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in November 1901, the territory was organised into five settled districts (Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara, Kohat, and Peshawar) alongside a trans-border tract comprising five Political Agencies: Khyber, Kurram, Malakand, Tochi, and Wano. Of these, four districts (Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, and Peshawar) were designated as "Trans-Indus" districts.

By the time of the Census of India 1941 under the British Indian government, Tochi Agency had been redesignated as North Waziristan Agency, and Wana Agency had become South Waziristan Agency. Additionally, two tehsils previously under Peshawar District's jurisdiction (Mardan and Swabi) were separated to constitute Mardan District, thereby establishing it as the fifth Trans-Indus district. All six districts within the North-West Frontier Province were subsequently assigned corresponding Frontier Regions, which denoted tribal territories placed under the administrative supervision of the deputy commissioner from an adjoining district.

1947 to 1954

Following the creation of Pakistan, the six districts of the North-West Frontier Province retained their territorial boundaries and provincial status. However, the five tribal agencies and six frontier regions separated from the province to establish the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The FATA constituted a distinct administrative unit of Pakistan under federal governance from Islamabad, with a geographic area reportedly exceeding that of the North-West Frontier Province itself.

In 1951, portions of Malakand Agency were demarcated to form the newly established Mohmand Agency within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas framework.

1954 to 1972

In 1954, the One Unit policy commenced, consolidating all territories of West Pakistan into a single provincial entity. From 1954 until 1970, the North-West Frontier Province ceased to exist as an administrative unit. This dissolution precipitated the introduction of the region's first divisions (divisions had previously existed in Punjab and East Bengal, yet no other provinces maintained such administrative subdivisions prior to One Unit).

The territory formerly encompassing the North-West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas was allocated between two divisions: Dera Ismail Khan Division and Peshawar Division. Dera Ismail Khan Division comprised Bannu District, Dera Ismail Khan District, North Waziristan Agency, and South Waziristan Agency. Peshawar Division incorporated Hazara District, Kohat District, Mardan District, Peshawar District, Kurram Agency, Khyber Agency, Malakand Agency, and Mohmand Agency. At this juncture, the previously existing frontier regions were integrated into their respective districts.

The One Unit policy was terminated in 1970, restoring provinces to their original configurations (which also necessitated the separation of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas from the North-West Frontier Province once more, alongside the reinstatement of Frontier Regions as distinct administrative units). Divisions created under One Unit remained within the North-West Frontier Province but were entirely abolished in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

By the Census of Pakistan 1972, substantial alterations had been made to the administrative geography:

• Malakand Division had been established between 1961 and 1972 using territory covering much of the now-defunct Malakand Agency; it was subsequently subdivided into Chitral, Dir, Malakand, Shangla, and Swat districts.
• Hazara and Mardan Districts had absorbed their respective frontier regions.
• Bajaur Agency was established from portions of the defunct Malakand Agency not incorporated into Malakand Division.

Consequently, by 1972, the North-West Frontier Province was organised into three divisions and ten districts, whereas the Federally Administered Tribal Areas comprised six Political Agencies and four Frontier Regions. The administrative divisions of the region were structured as follows (districts and divisions that no longer exist are indicated in italics):

Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1954–1972)

Province/territory	Divisions	Districts
North-West Frontier Province	Dera Ismail Khan Division	Bannu District Dera Ismail Khan District
	Malakand Division	Chitral District Dir District Malakand District Swat District
	Peshawar Division	Hazara District Kohat District Mardan District Peshawar District
Federally Administered Tribal Areas	Political Agencies	Bajaur Agency Khyber Agency Kurram Agency Mohmand Agency North Waziristan Agency South Waziristan Agency
	Frontier Regions	Frontier Region Bannu Frontier Region Dera Ismail Khan Frontier Region Kohat Frontier Region Peshawar

1972 to 1981

Between 1972 and 1981, the administrative landscape underwent continuous restructuring, with new divisions and districts being carved out and cartographic adjustments persistently implemented.

Hazara Division was established from the territory of the now-defunct Hazara District along with portions of Swat District situated within Malakand Division. Hazara Division was subsequently partitioned into three districts: Abbottabad District (constituted from the Abbottabad, Amb, and Haripur Tehsils of Hazara District); Kohistan District (constituted from six tehsils of Swat District and eight union councils of Batagram Tehsil within Hazara District); and Mansehra District (constituted from Batagram Tehsil, excluding the eight union councils transferred to Kohistan District, alongside Mansehra Tehsil of Hazara District).

Orakzai Agency was created from portions of Frontier Region Kohat within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with the latter continuing to exist albeit with reduced territorial extent.

Consequently, by the time of the 1981 Census of Pakistan, the North-West Frontier Province comprised twelve districts (two additional compared to 1972) organised into four divisions (one additional compared to 1972), whilst the Federally Administered Tribal Areas encompassed seven Political Agencies (one additional compared to 1972) and four Frontier Regions. A list of these administrative units is provided below (districts and divisions that no longer exist are indicated in italics):

Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1972–1981)

Province/territory	Divisions	Districts
North-West Frontier Province	Dera Ismail Khan Division	Bannu District Dera Ismail Khan District
	Hazara Division	Abbottabad District Kohistan District Mansehra District
	Malakand Division	Chitral District Dir District Malakand District Swat District
	Peshawar Division	Kohat District Mardan District Peshawar District
Federally Administered Tribal Areas	Political Agencies	Bajaur Agency Khyber Agency Kurram Agency Mohmand Agency Orakzai Agency North Waziristan Agency South Waziristan Agency
	Frontier Regions	Frontier Region Bannu Frontier Region Dera Ismail Khan Frontier Region Kohat Frontier Region Peshawar