The census of 1981 defines a household as ‘a person or a group of persons living together and eating from the same kitchen and using the same budget, whether or not related to each other’.

According to this census the average number of persons per household was 7.8. On average, 3.6 persons were living together in 1 room. Only 24.8% of the population was fortunate to have a separate room.

Due to the extended family system, the number of persons in a household is high, despite the fact that improvements in the living conditions have been observed. The households are not headed by a female due to cultural and social values having deep roots in the society.

Dependent population includes people below 15 years and above 65 years. The dependency ratio in district Killa Abdullah is very high. This is evident from the 1981 census^*. There were 51.9% children below the age of 15 years and the population of those above the age of 65 years was 2.4% . It should be kept in mind that women, irrespective of their age, are also dependent in the Pashtoon society, due to reasons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.

It is obvious that the dependency ratio is very high, mainly due to a higher level of fertility. It is a very alarming situation, having great implications: The higher the dependency ratio, the greater the burden on society. However, a positive effect may be a younger, healthier and more productive labour force at a later stage. The population under 15 years of age constitutes a serious problem in the short run. Those already born require education at all levels and assistance in the areas of health including nutrition for the next 15 years.

According to the latest estimates, more than 82% of the population was living in rural areas. Most of the population lives in villages. There are 355 villages in the District. The population density in 1981 was 32.41 persons per km². It has increased to 51.7 in 1995. The villages in district Killa Abdullah are generally scattered. However, Gulistan, Killa Abdullah, Maizai Adda and Chaman Town are densely populated areas. According to a Human Resource survey by BEMIS, the population residing in a village of Killa Abdullah district ranges from 200 in Killi Muhammad Ramzan to 6,000 in the village of Murda Karez.

District Killa Abdullah is mostly inhibited by Pashtoons. They speak Pashto, in urban areas Urdu is also spoken.

Every year, during winter, nomads from Afghanistan, along with their livestock migrate into Killa Abdullah mainly via Toba Achakzai and Kakari highlands, as well as through other routes. They stay for some time in their camps (kizhedei) and then move towards warmer areas. In summer they go back to their country. During their stay they sell their livestock and buy those commodities which they need. They usually extend their stay at those places, where grazing facilities are easily available. Their migration is of a transitionally nature.

A large scale, migration was witnessed during early the 1980’s, when Afghan refugees entered the district. Their registered number in the district was more than 95,000. They settled at Jungle Pir Alizai. Large numbers of unregistered refugees also found their way into the district. It is believed that most of the registered refugees have repatriated while most of the unregistered have settled in the district. They have absorbed themselves in different occupations like trade, commerce, agriculture and as shopkeepers. Due to similar cultural backgrounds, some of them have inter-married.

Nomads have a particular way of living, they dislike settled life^*. They usually are very religious. They travel along with their families and livestock. Due to a major inter tribal feud in the district, large scale migration has taken place since 1990.