Total Population
2,744,898 2023 Census 2017 Census: 2,373,061
Mardan District
Mardan District is the larger of the two districts in Mardan Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A major agricultural and industrial centre, it anchors the division’s sugarcane, tobacco, and wheat output, marble and stone-crushing industry, and the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate corridor.
Basic Information
Total Area
1,632 km²
Tehsils & Union Councils
3 tehsils · 74 union councils Mardan (43) · Takht Bahi (18) · Katlang (13)
Tehsils / Union Councils
| Tehsil | Union Councils |
|---|---|
| Mardan | 43 |
| Takht Bahi | 18 |
| Katlang | 13 |
| Total | 74 |
Indicators
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total population (2023 Census) | 2,744,898 |
| Total population (2017 Census) | 2,373,061 |
| Total area | 1,632 km² |
| Literacy rate (PSLM baseline) | 52% (Male 71%, Female 34%) |
| National Assembly seats | 3 |
District Council seats
| Category | Seats |
|---|---|
| General | 75 |
| Women | 25 |
| Peasant / Worker | 4 |
| Minority | 4 |
| Youth | 4 |
| Total reserved & general | 112 |
Educational Institutions
| Type | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| Primary schools | 802 | 615 |
| Middle schools | 80 | 94 |
| High schools | 87 | 80 |
| Higher secondary schools | 37 | 30 |
| Mosque schools | 41 | |
| Degree colleges | 9 | 8 |
| Polytechnic institutes | 2 | |
| Commerce colleges/institutes | 3 | |
| Vocational centres | 5 | |
| Private primary schools | 170 | |
| Private schools (middle–higher secondary) | 187 | |
| Post-graduate college | 1 | |
| Medical college | Bacha Khan Medical College | |
| Engineering college/university | UET Peshawar, Mardan Campus | |
Hospitals
| Facility type | Total Facilities | Beds |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | 8 | 752 |
| Dispensaries | 18 | — |
| Rural Health Centres | 4 | 74 |
| Basic Health Units | 49 | — |
| Mother & Child Health Centres | 2 | — |
| Leprosy Clinic | 1 | — |
| TB Clinic | 1 | — |
| Private hospitals | 2 | — |
| Private medical practitioners | 356 | — |
| Mardan Medical Complex (MTI teaching hospital) | 1 | ≈730–800 (expanding) |
Police Stations
18 police stations district-wide under the District Police Officer, Mardan, supervised through Sub-Divisional Police Officers at the tehsil level.
National Assembly Constituencies (2024 general election)
| Seat | Member | Area |
|---|---|---|
| NA-21 Mardan-I | Mujahid Ali (IND) | Katlang, Rustam, Takht Bahi |
| NA-22 Mardan-II | Muhammad Atif Khan Tarakai (IND) | Mardan |
| NA-23 Mardan-III | Ali Muhammad Khan (IND) | Takht Bhai / Shergarh area |
Provincial Assembly Constituencies
| Seat | Member |
|---|---|
| PK-54 Mardan-I | Zarshad Khan (IND) |
| PK-55 Mardan-II | Tufail Anjum (IND) |
| PK-56 Mardan-III | Amir Farzand Khan (IND) |
| PK-57 Mardan-IV | Muhammad Zahir Shah (IND) |
| PK-58 Mardan-V | Muhammad Abdul Salam (IND) |
| PK-59 Mardan-VI | Tariq Mehmood Aryani (IND) |
| PK-60 Mardan-VII | Iftikhar Ali Mashwani (IND) |
| PK-61 Mardan-VIII | Ihtisham Ali (IND) |
Priority Issues and Challenges
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Poor Road Infrastructure | Congestion on N-45 (Nowshera–Chitral) through Mardan city and on the Mardan Ring Road; link-road gaps to Takht Bahi, Katlang and Rustam tehsils. |
| Health | Only two government facilities on the Sehat Card panel; Takht Bhai THQ hospital lacks C-section and sterilisation-autoclave capacity, forcing referrals to distant facilities. |
| Water Crisis | Kalpani River pollution from marble-crushing dust and untreated industrial/municipal effluent through Mardan city; low share of houses with piped water (18%, 1998 baseline). |
| Unemployment | Agriculture and allied livestock/fishing account for 41.6% of employment; manufacturing only 2.6%, leaving the district exposed to agricultural-income volatility. |
| Environmental Challenges | Dust and emissions from marble-crushing and cement units; 90% of marble tiles produced are exported out of district, with limited local value capture or environmental mitigation. |