here is the exact estimated figures by the cso central statistics office of afghanistan about the urban and metropolitan area's populations as of taken from cso statistical yearbook kabul rural urban total so the urban population is the same kabul city's population and the total population is the metropolitan area's population britannica has also considered the urban population figure as kabul city's population and that was based on population estimates of the cso to obtain the copy of the cso statistical yearbook go the cso's website ttp and on the left bar there is a link to the statistical yearbook or let me give you the direct link to the zip downloadable folder here you will see the pdf copy image of the population chapter in the sub folders