Below the provinces, Pakistan divides into divisions, then districts, then tehsils. The count shifts as new ones are created — here’s the latest.
Quick answer: Pakistan has roughly 37 divisions and 164 districts (May 2026 count; the number grows as provinces carve out new ones). Punjab has the most divisions (10). The ladder: province → division → district → tehsil.
In this guide
The Count
A May 2026 tabulation put Pakistan at 37 divisions and 164 districts — but treat any exact figure as a snapshot: provincial governments create new districts regularly (often before elections). Wikipedia’s list runs slightly higher, including AJK and GB divisions. The honest answer: around three dozen divisions, 160+ districts.
Divisions by Province (Approx)
- Punjab: 10 divisions (Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Gujrat*)
- Sindh: 7 divisions (Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Banbhore*)
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 7 divisions (Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara, Malakand)
- Balochistan: 8 divisions (Quetta, Zhob, Sibi, Naseerabad, Kalat, Makran, Rakhshan*, Loralai*)
*Newer/notified divisions — the list keeps evolving. Districts within each: 160+ and counting.
What Divisions Do
A division is headed by a commissioner; districts by deputy commissioners — the steel frame of local administration (revenue, law and order, development). Below districts: tehsils, then union councils. Day-to-day governance Pakistanis actually encounter — land records, policing, municipal services — happens at the district level and below.
Districts You Know by Name
Some districts are famous beyond administration: Lahore (the cultural capital), Karachi South/East/West (the megacity carved up), Rawalpindi (the garrison), Multan (saints and mangoes), Swat (the valley), Gwadar (the port bet), Tharparkar (the desert), Dera Bugti (the gas fields). When headlines name a district, they usually mean one of these — the ones where Pakistan’s story happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many divisions are there?
Around 37 — Punjab 10, Sindh 7, KP 7, Balochistan 8, plus AJK and GB. The number grows as new divisions are notified.
How many districts are there?
Around 164 (May 2026 count) — and rising, as provinces keep carving out new districts.
