Attock District
Attock District in Punjab has 2,170,423 people and covers 6,857 sq km.
District map
Map of Attock
2,170,423
People counted in the 2023 census
23rd of 36 districts in Punjab. 1.7% of Punjab
Change since 2017
| Census | People |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,170,423 |
| 2017 | 1,886,378 |
Key numbers
- 6,857 sq kmArea3.3% of Punjab
- 316.5People per sq kmBelow the Punjab figure of 621.8
- 28.8%Share living in towns and citiesBelow the Punjab figure of 40.7%
- 6.1People per householdBelow the Punjab figure of 6.4
- 100.83Men per 100 womenBelow the Punjab figure of 105.18
- 2.37%Population growth a yearBelow the Punjab figure of 2.53%
Who lives here
| Group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 1,089,655 | 50.2% |
| Women | 1,080,687 | 49.8% |
| Transgender people | 81 | 0.0% |
| People in villages | 1,546,439 | 71.3% |
| People in towns and cities | 623,984 | 28.7% |
Literacy and school attendance
PBS defines this literacy rate for people aged 10 and older. Rural and urban values are shown only where the census reports them.
| Group | Literacy rate |
|---|---|
| Overall | 70.2% |
| Men | 79.7% |
| Women | 60.7% |
| Rural | 67.2% |
| Urban | 78.2% |
96,795 children aged 5–16 were recorded as out of school.
How this place ranks in Pakistan
All rankingsPublic transit routes
The PakBus GTFS feed listed 2 routes in 1 service for Attock on : Green Electric Bus. These are route records, not a count of journeys or a live service status. City names follow PakBus and do not define census boundaries.
Where the name comes from
Attock takes its name from the fort that Akbar built on the Indus in 1581 and called Attak Banaras.
The district is named after the fort and the old river crossing at its north west corner. Akbar built the fort in 1581 on his way back from a campaign against his brother Mirza Hakim, the governor of Kabul. He called it Attak Banaras, to pair it with Katak Banaras, the main fort at the far end of his empire.
The 1907 gazetteer records an older view too. General Cunningham thought the name was much older than Akbar. He linked it to Taxila and to the Taka tribe, who once held the country between the Margalla Pass and the Indus.
History
Attock District was formed in 1904, was called Campbellpur for most of the last century, and took back the name Attock in 1978.
The district was set up in 1904. Talagang Tehsil came from Jhelum District. Pindi Gheb, Fateh Jang and Attock Tehsils came from Rawalpindi District.
The district headquarters moved to a new town, Campbellpur, built a few kilometres south east of Attock Khurd. The district carried that name until 1978, when the district and its headquarters town were renamed Attock after the old town and fort.
Akbar built the Attock Fort in 1581 to guard the crossing of the Indus. The Kabul River ends here, where it flows into the Indus.
Rivers
- Indus Runs along the north and west of Attock District. It is wide with many channels through the Chhachh plain and narrows into a rocky gorge at Attock below the fort.
- Kabul River Comes in from the west and joins the Indus on its right bank at Attock. Flows into: Indus at Attock.
- Haro River Crosses the Sarwala tract south of Attock city on its way to the Indus. Flows into: Indus.
- Soan River Marks the southern edge of Attock District. The old Talagang Tehsil lay on its far bank. Flows into: Indus.
- Sil A stream that crosses the south east corner of Fateh Jang Tehsil below the Khairi Murat hills.
Government schools
1,288
Government schools, 2018
| Level | Gender | Government schools |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Boys | 397 |
| Primary | Girls | 439 |
| Middle | Boys | 96 |
| Middle | Girls | 108 |
| High | Boys | 122 |
| High | Girls | 104 |
| Higher secondary | Boys | 12 |
| Higher secondary | Girls | 10 |
Source: Punjab Annual School Census 2017-18: public schools October 2018
Inside Attock
| Tehsil | People | Area (sq km) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attock | 516,277 | 1,002 sq km | 23.8% |
| Hazro | 386,544 | 348 sq km | 17.8% |
| Fateh Jang | 374,726 | 1,249 sq km | 17.3% |
| Jand | 330,328 | 2,043 sq km | 15.2% |
| Pindi Gheb | 308,878 | 1,865 sq km | 14.2% |
| Hasan Abdal | 253,670 | 350 sq km | 11.7% |
Common questions about Attock
- What is the population of Attock District?
- Attock District had 2,170,423 people in the 2023 census. That is the 23rd largest of the 36 districts in Punjab, and 1.7% of everyone there. The 2017 census counted 1,886,378, so there are 284,045 more people now.
- How fast is Attock growing?
- The population of Attock grew 2.37% a year between the 2017 and 2023 censuses. That is slower than Pakistan as a whole, which grew 2.55% a year.
- How big is Attock?
- Attock covers 6,857 square kilometres. That works out at 316.5 people per square kilometre. A household here holds 6.1 people on average.
- How many people in Attock live in towns and cities?
- 623,984 people in Attock live in towns and cities and 1,546,439 live in villages. That makes it 28.8% urban, against 40.7% for Punjab.
- How many men and women live in Attock?
- The census counted 1,089,655 men and 1,080,687 women in Attock. It also counted 81 transgender people. That is 100.83 men for every 100 women.
- What is the literacy rate in Attock?
- The 2023 census literacy rate for people aged 10 and older in Attock was 70.2%. It was 79.7% for men and 60.7% for women, a gap of 19.0 percentage points.
- Where does Attock rank by population?
- Attock ranks 37th of 136 districts in Pakistan by 2023 census population.
- What does the name Attock mean?
- Attock takes its name from the fort that Akbar built on the Indus in 1581 and called Attak Banaras.
- What is the history of Attock?
- Attock District was formed in 1904, was called Campbellpur for most of the last century, and took back the name Attock in 1978.
- Which rivers are in Attock District?
- Attock District has 5 rivers: the Indus, the Kabul River, the Haro River, the Soan River and the Sil.
- How many government schools are there in Attock?
- Attock District had 1,288 working government schools in the 2018 Punjab school census. 836 of them are primary schools and 661 are girls schools.