Abstract In this paper, we study following Kirchhoff type equation: − a + b ∫ Ω | ∇ u | 2 d x Δ u = f ( u ) + h in Ω , u = 0 on ∂ Ω . $$\begin{array}{} \left\{ \begin{array}{lll} -\left(a+b\int_{{\it\Omega}}|\nabla u|^2 \mathrm{d}x \right){\it\Delta} u=f(u)+h~~&\mbox{in}~~{\it\Omega}, \\ u=0~~&\mbox{on}~~ \partial{\it\Omega}. \end{array} \right. \end{array}$$ We consider first the case that Ω ⊂ ℝ3 is a bounded domain. Existence of at least one or two positive solutions for above equation is obtained by using the monotonicity trick. Nonexistence criterion is also established by virtue of the corresponding Pohožaev identity. In particular, we show nonexistence properties for the 3-sublinear case as well as the critical case. Under general assumption on the nonlinearity, existence result is also established for the whole space case that Ω = ℝ3 by using property of the Pohožaev identity and some delicate analysis.