Kohat is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), northwestern Pakistan, and the administrative centre of Kohat District. The city lies in Pakistan’s Trans-Indus plain, southwest of Peshawar, in a region where the settled areas of KP meet the hill country toward the Afghan frontier. The 2023 Pakistan census recorded 235,880 residents in Kohat city, while the wider Kohat District had 1,234,661 people. citeturn1search14
Kohat matters because its geography gives it significance beyond its population. It is a regional administrative and transport centre, has long-standing military and security importance, and sits within a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that has been affected by Pakistan’s wider security tensions along the Afghanistan border. Those factors help explain why Kohat frequently appears in reporting on regional security, while its census figures show that the city itself is considerably smaller than the district it administers.
Where is Kohat?
Kohat is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of Pakistan’s four provinces. It is the headquarters of Kohat District and gives its name to Kohat Division.
Geographically, Kohat belongs to the Trans-Indus plain, a broad physical region west of the Indus River that includes the plains associated with Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics places the Kohat area within this larger geographical division.
The city is positioned roughly southwest of Peshawar, the provincial capital. Its location makes it a link between the more densely settled areas of central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the mountainous districts farther west.
Kohat coordinates
Kohat is located at approximately 33.59° north latitude and 71.44° east longitude.
For mapping and census purposes, it is important to distinguish the city from the administrative district. Pakistan’s census system publishes population information at several administrative levels, including districts, tehsils and urban localities.
Kohat population
The latest completed national census is Pakistan’s 7th Population and Housing Census, conducted in 2023. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released its detailed national and provincial census reports in 2025.
For Kohat, the most useful figures are:
| Geographic area | 2023 population | Area | What it represents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kohat city | 235,880 | — | The urban locality |
| Kohat District | 1,234,661 | 2,991 km² | The complete administrative district |
| Kohat District — urban population | 278,741 | — | All urban residents within the district |
| Kohat District — rural population | 955,920 | — | Residents outside the district’s urban localities |
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data show that Kohat District had a population density of 412.79 people per square kilometre in 2023 and an average annual population growth rate of 1.78% between 2017 and 2023.
The city figure of 235,880 comes from the census-based urban-locality data. It should not be substituted with the district’s 1.23 million residents. Census reporting treats urban localities and wider administrative districts as different geographic units.
Kohat city versus Kohat District
The difference between the two figures is particularly important for news and reference articles.
Kohat city refers to the built-up urban centre. Kohat District is a much larger administrative territory containing the city, other settlements and extensive rural areas.
In 2023, the district had 278,741 urban residents and 955,920 rural residents. That means only about 22.6% of the district’s population was classified as urban in the census.
As a result, a statement such as “Kohat has a population of 1.23 million” is accurate only if it is explicitly referring to Kohat District. For the city itself, the appropriate 2023 census figure is 235,880.
How Kohat’s population has changed
Kohat’s urban population has grown over several decades, although its most recent census-period increase was relatively modest.
Census-based city figures show:
- 1998: 126,627
- 2017: 228,779
- 2023: 235,880
The rise from 2017 to 2023 was much smaller than the increase recorded between 1998 and 2017.
The wider district followed a different pattern. Its population increased from 1,111,266 in 2017 to 1,234,661 in 2023, equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 1.78% during that period.
This difference illustrates why city and district statistics should not be mixed when describing demographic change.
Kohat’s people and language
Kohat is part of the predominantly Pashto-speaking cultural environment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Census-based data for the wider Kohat area show Pashto as the dominant first language, with Hindko also significant in the city and surrounding area.
Kohat is also historically associated with the Bangash Pashtun community. Its location and history have connected the city with the wider social and political geography of the Pashtun areas of northwestern Pakistan.
Why Kohat matters
A regional centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Kohat’s importance is not determined simply by its population. Its position makes it a regional centre between Peshawar and areas farther south and west.
The city’s administrative role means that government, public services and other institutions serving the surrounding district are concentrated there. The wider district, meanwhile, encompasses communities beyond the city itself.
Military and security importance
Kohat has a longstanding military and security presence. That is one reason the city appears disproportionately often in reporting about security developments compared with what its population alone might suggest.
The distinction became particularly visible after the September 2026 attack at the Kohat Police Lines, where a mosque near police facilities was attacked and security forces subsequently fought armed assailants. AP reported that the police compound housed counterterrorism units involved in operations against militants in the region.
The security significance of Kohat therefore derives partly from its location and institutions rather than simply from the size of its civilian population.
Its position relative to the Afghan frontier
Kohat is not itself a border city with Afghanistan, but it lies within the broader geographic and security environment of northwestern Pakistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contains several districts extending toward the Afghanistan border, and militant activity in those areas has had consequences for larger regional centres such as Kohat. The province’s geography also means that roads and administrative centres connecting settled districts with western border areas can have strategic importance.
This context is particularly relevant when interpreting reports about attacks on police or military facilities in Kohat.
Kohat on a map
The simplest way to understand Kohat geographically is to place it between three broader reference points:
Peshawar lies to the northeast, while the wider mountain and frontier regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa extend westward. The Indus River system and the Trans-Indus plains lie farther east and south.
Pakistan’s Bureau of Statistics maintains official GIS and census mapping resources covering the country’s administrative units and census areas.
What the population figures actually tell us
The census numbers reveal a city that is substantial regionally but not a Pakistani megacity.
With 235,880 residents, Kohat is considerably smaller than Peshawar, whose 2023 population was about 1.91 million. At the same time, the 1.23 million people living across Kohat District make the wider administrative area considerably larger than the city itself.
That distinction matters when reading news reports. An incident described as occurring “in Kohat” may refer specifically to the urban centre, while demographic or administrative statistics may refer to the entire district.
Why Kohat remains important
Kohat’s significance comes from the combination of geography, administration and security infrastructure.
Its population of roughly 236,000 makes it a sizeable regional city, but its role extends beyond its municipal boundaries. It serves as the administrative centre of a district containing more than 1.2 million people, sits within the Trans-Indus geography of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and occupies a strategically relevant position within northwestern Pakistan.
For anyone trying to understand Kohat in news coverage, the most useful fact is therefore not simply its population. Kohat is a regional city whose geographic and security importance is considerably larger than its urban population alone suggests. The distinction between the 235,880-person city and the 1,234,661-person district provides the essential context for interpreting maps, census statistics and reports from the area.