Headquarters: Chitral · Census 2023 · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Lower Chitral District is one of the 38 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with its headquarters at Chitral. It has 2 sub-divisions: Chitral and Drosh. The 2023 census counted 320,407 people on 6,458 km², and 66.1% of residents aged 10 and over were literate.
| Name | Type | Population | Area (km²) | Urban | Literacy (10+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chitral | Sub-division | 211,374 | 6,127 | 27.04% | 70.2% |
| Drosh | Sub-division | 109,033 | 331 | – | 57.38% |
Lower Chitral covers the Kalash valleys and Chitral town, sitting in the shadow of Trich Mir, Pakistan's highest peak outside the Karakoram.
The district headquarters is Chitral. The available public data note is Census 2023. Check the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the relevant provincial department for updated official tables.
The University of Chitral and a number of colleges serve the district.
DHQ Chitral is the main hospital.
Khowar is the dominant language, and the Kalash festivals and polo matches draw visitors from across the country.
The Lowari Tunnel has cut winter isolation sharply, though side valleys still lose road access in heavy snow.
Ayun and the Kalash valleys.
Related searches include Lower Chitral and Chitral Lower. This page uses the current district name and separates Lower Chitral from Upper Chitral.
Lower Chitral District has 2 sub-divisions: Chitral and Drosh.
The 2023 census counted 320,407 people in Lower Chitral District, up from 278,328 in 2017 (annual growth 2.38%). 17.84% of the population lived in urban areas.
Lower Chitral District covers 6,458 km² according to the 2023 census, a density of 49.61 people per km².
The 2023 census lists 1 urban locality in Lower Chitral District: Chitral (57,157, municipal committee).
66.1% of people aged 10 and over were literate in the 2023 census (male 76.81%, female 54.77%).
The most common mother tongue in the 2023 census was Pashto (9.36% of the 318,234 people in the mother-tongue table), followed by Kalasha (1.59%).
Lower Chitral District is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its headquarters is Chitral.
Upper Chitral was notified as a district on 20 November 2018, and a notification on 21 December 2018 formally divided Chitral into Lower Chitral and Upper Chitral districts. (APP via The Nation)