Nepal
Nepal⌘K
Overview
- Background
- During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepali Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence after the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16, and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal. In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of hereditary rule and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but it was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.
A Maoist-led insurgency broke out in 1996. During the ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces, the monarchy dissolved the cabinet and parliament. In 2001, Crown Prince DIPENDRA first massacred the royal family and then shot himself. His uncle GYANENDRA became king, and the monarchy reassumed absolute power the next year. A peace accord in 2006 led to the promulgation of an interim constitution in 2007. After a nationwide Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008, the newly formed CA declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, abolished the monarchy, and elected the country's first president.
When the CA failed to draft a Supreme Court-mandated constitution, then-Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI dissolved the CA. An interim government held elections in 2013, in which the Nepali Congress (NC) won the largest share of seats. In 2014, NC formed a coalition government with the second-place Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML). Nepal's new constitution came into effect in 2015, at which point the CA became the Parliament and Khagda Prasad Sharma OLI the first post-constitution prime minister (2015-16). He resigned ahead of a no-confidence motion, and Parliament elected Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) leader Pushpa Kamal DAHAL as prime minister.
The parties headed by OLI and DAHAL ran in coalition and swept the parliamentary elections in 2017, and OLI was sworn in as prime minister in 2018. OLI's efforts to dissolve parliament and hold elections were declared unconstitutional in 2021, and the opposition-supported NC leader Sher Bahadur DEUBA was named prime minister. The NC won a majority of seats in the parliamentary elections in 2022, but DAHAL then broke with the ruling coalition and partnered with OLI and the CPN-UML to become prime minister. DAHAL's first cabinet lasted about two months, until OLI withdrew his support over disagreements about ministerial assignments. In early 2023, DAHAL survived a vote of confidence and formed a coalition with the NC to remain prime minister.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 143,351 sq km
- Water
- 3,830 sq km
- Total
- 147,181 sq km
- Climate
- varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
- Terrain
- Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north
Land Use
- Other
- 27.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 43.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 26.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 12.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southern Asia, between China and India
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Kanchan Kalan 70 m
- Highest point
- Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m
- Mean elevation
- 2,565 m
- Irrigated land
- 12,090 sq km (2022)
- Major aquifers
- Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin
- Map references
- Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 3,159 km
- Border countries
- China 1,389 km; India 1,770 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural hazards
- severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
- Geography note
- landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga -- the world's tallest and third-tallest mountains -- on the borders with China and India, respectively
- Natural resources
- quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
- Area comparative
- slightly larger than New York State
- Geographic coordinates
- 28 00 N, 84 00 E
- Population distribution
- most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is low
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Indian ocean drainage
- Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km)
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 79.8% (2019 est.)
- Female
- 59.4% (2019 est.)
- Total population
- 68.7% (2019 est.)
Languages
- Note
- note: 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2021 national census; many in government and business also speak English
- Languages
- Nepali (official) 44.9%, Maithali 11.1%, Bhojpuri 6.2%, Tharu 5.9%, Tamang 4.9%, Bajjika 3.9%, Avadhi 3%, Nepalbhasha (Newari) 3%, Magar Dhut 2.8%, Doteli 1.7%, Urdu 1.4%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.2%, Gurung 1.1%, other 8.9% (2021 est.)
- Major language sample(s)
विश्व तथ्य पुस्तक,आधारभूत जानकारीको लागि अपरिहार्य स्रोत (Nepali)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Hindu 81.2%, Buddhist 8.2%, Muslim 5.1%, Kirat 3.2%, Christian 1.8%; less than 1%: Prakriti, Bon, Jains, Sikh (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 16.66 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 26.5 years
- Total
- 28.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 28.6 years
Population
- Male
- 15,352,706
- Total
- 31,334,402 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 15,981,696
Nationality
- Noun
- Nepali (singular and plural)
- Adjective
- Nepali
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 40.3% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 22.9% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 7.6% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 21.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 25.8% (male 4,125,244/female 3,909,135)
- 15 64 years
- 67.8% (male 10,153,682/female 10,957,011)
- 65 years and over
- 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 961,717/female 1,015,598)
- Ethnic groups
- Chhettri 16.5%, Brahman-Hill 11.3%, Magar 6.9%, Tharu 6.2%, Tamang 5.6%, Bishwokarma 5%, Musalman 4.9%, Newar 4.6%, Yadav 4.2%, Rai 2.2%, Pariyar 1.9%, Gurung 1.9%, Thakuri 1.7%, Mijar 1.6%, Teli 1.5%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.4%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 20% (2021 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 7% (2022)
- Women married BY age 15
- 5.8% (2022)
- Women married BY age 18
- 34.9% (2022)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 46.8 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 37.2 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 10.4 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 9.6 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 5.4% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 8% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 91.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 91.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 90% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 8.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 8.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 10% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 3.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 10.8% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 25.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.66% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.88 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is low
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 72.2 years
- Female
- 73.7 years
- Total population
- 73 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 142 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 89.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 90.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 96.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 10.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 9.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 4.1% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 20.4 years (2016 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 75.1% (2022 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 18.3% (2022 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 14 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 14 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 14 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: crimson red with a blue border, in the shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller upper triangle has a stylized white moon, and the larger lower triangle has a 12-pointed white sun
meaning: red stands for the rhododendron (the national flower) and victory and bravery, and the blue border for peace and harmony; the two triangles are a combination of two pennants that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains, but today they refer to Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions; the moon stands for the serenity of the people, as well as Himalayan shade and cool weather, and the sun for the heat and higher temperatures in the rest of the country
Capital
- Name
- Kathmandu
- Etymology
- the name comes from the Nepalese words kath (wooden) and mandu (temple), referring to the local temples that are often still built from wood
- Time difference
- UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 27 43 N, 85 19 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- yes
- Dual citizenship recognized
- no
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 15 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015
- Amendment process
- proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament; bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly; passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership; bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament; parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended
Country Name
- Etymology
- the name probably comes from the Sanskrit term nepala, from the words for "fly down" and "house," which would refer to the villages at the base of the mountains
- Local long form
- none
- Local short form
- Nepal
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- Nepal
- Independence
- 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)
- Legal system
- English common law and Hindu legal concepts
- Government type
- federal parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- High Court; district courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice; the chief justice serves a 6-year term; judges serve until age 65
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: KARKI was sworn in as interim prime minister on 12 September 2025 after Khadga Prasad Sharma OLI resigned on 9 September following violent protests; KARKI will serve until elections are held in March 2026
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet positions shared among Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners
- Chief of state
- President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023)
- Election results
2023: Ram Chandra POUDEL elected president; electoral college vote - Ram Chandra POUDEL (NC) 33,802, Subash Chandra NEMBANG (CPN-UML) 15,518- Head of government
- Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 9 March 2023
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
- Expected date of next election
- 5 March 2026
- National holiday
- Constitution Day, 20 September (2015)
- National color(s)
- red
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Kathmandu Valley (c); Sagarmatha National Park (n); Chitwan National Park (n); Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c)
- Political parties
- Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN-MC
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or CPN-UML
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) or CPN-US
Janamat Party
Janata Samajbaadi Party or JSP
Loktantrik Samajwadi Party or LSP
Naya Shakti Party, Nepal
Nepali Congress or NC
Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party) or NWPP
Rastriya Janamorcha (National People's Front)
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (National Democratic Party) or RPP
Rastriya Swatantra Party or RSP
Legislative Branch
- Note
- note: violent student-led protests in early September 2025 led to the resignation of the Prime Minister; the President dissolved Parliament on 12 September 2015 following the swearing in of an interim prime minister and set elections for 5 March 2026; the major political parties have demanded reinstatement of the Parliament
- Legislature name
- Federal Parliament (Sanghiya Sansad)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers)
- History
- adopted 2007
- Lyrics/music
- Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG
- National symbol(s)
- rhododendron blossom
- Administrative divisions
- 7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Note
- note: Parliament was dissolved by the President on 12 September following violent protests, the resignation of the Prime Minister, and the appointment of an interim prime minister with new elections set for March 2026
- Chamber name
- House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 275 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- mixed system
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 11/20/2022
- Expected date of next election
- 5 March 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 0%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Nepali Congress (NC) (89); Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist, UML) (78); Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) (32); Rastriya Swatantra Party (20); Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP) (14); People's Socialist Party, Nepal (12); Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) (10); Janamat Party (6); Democratic Socialist Party, Nepal (4); People's Freedom Party (3); Nepal Workers Peasants Party (1); Rastriya Janamorcha (1); Independents (5)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha)
- Term in office
- 6 years
- Number of seats
- 59 (56 indirectly elected; 3 appointed)
- Scope of elections
- partial renewal
- Most recent election date
- 1/25/2024
- Expected date of next election
- January 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 37.3%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 667-5534
- Chancery
- 2730 34th Place NW, Washington, DC 20007
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 667-4550
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sharad Raj ARAN (since November 2025)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York
- Email address and website
info@nepalembassyusa.org
https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [977] (1) 400-7272
- Embassy
- Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
- Telephone
- [977] (1) 423-4000
- Mailing address
- 6190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC 20521-6190
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Dean R. THOMPSON (since October 2022)
- Email address and website
usembktm@state.gov
https://np.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
NEPAL · LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives
275 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
275
Majority line
139
Largest party
Rastriya Swatantra Party
Parties
7
All political parties
Upper house
NEPAL · UPPER HOUSE
National Assembly
59 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
59
Majority line
31
Largest party
Nepali Congress
Parties
14
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Ram Chandra Poudel
- Head of State
Pushpa Kamal Dahal
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $7.625 billion (2021 est.)
- Expenditures
- $9.1 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $3.3B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $2.106 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $2.258 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $3.744 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $14.1B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $15.227 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $13.877 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $17.777 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production
- Labor force
- 8.435 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 39.9%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2021
- 39.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 22% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 25.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 33.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 118.345 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 118.134 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 125.199 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 132.115 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 133.727 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $5.719 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- low-income South Asian economy; post-conflict fiscal federalism increasing stability; COVID-19 hurt trade and tourism; widening current account deficits; environmentally fragile economy from earthquakes; growing Chinese relations and investments
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 10.5%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 10.9% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 10.7% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 10.8% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- India 67%, USA 12%, Germany 3%, China 2%, UK 2% (2023)
- Imports partners
- India 71%, China 17%, UAE 3%, Singapore 2%, Germany 1% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $5,737
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $4,800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $4,900 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $5,000 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.7%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 5.6% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.7% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, wheat, bison milk, milk, mangoes/guavas, bananas (2023)
- Exports commodities
- knotted carpets, garments, flat-rolled iron, synthetic fibers, palm oil (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, iron reductions, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$3.088 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $146.66 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $1.954 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 17.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $42.914 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 86.3% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 7.4% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 6.1% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 24.3% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 7.6% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -32.9% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 20.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.7%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
- 4.1% (2021 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 7.7% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 7.1% (2023 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 0.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $149.643 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $141.546 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $144.352 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $149.643 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 19.3% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 20.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 23.6% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
- $9.639 billion (2021 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $9.319 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $12.456 billion (2023 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 11.4% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 55.2% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 21.9% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.7% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 24.2% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 30 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 100 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.076 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 9,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 8 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 71,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 1.1 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.846 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 9.806 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 2.853 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 1.638 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 93.7%
- Electrification urban areas
- 97.7%
- Electrification total population
- 91.3% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 6.604 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 56% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state operates 3 TV stations, as well as national and regional radio stations; 117 television channels are licensed, 71 of which are cable TV, 3 are distributed through Direct-To-Home (DTH) system, and 4 are digital terrestrial; 736 FM radio stations are licensed, and at least 314 of those are community stations (2019)
- Internet country code
- .np
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 726,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 2 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 29.6 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 100 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 1.44 million (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 5 (2022 est.)
Transport
- Airports
- 51 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 59 km (2018)
- Narrow gauge
- 59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge
- Heliports
- 14 (2025)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 9N
Environment
- Climate
- varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Land Use
- Other
- 27.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 43.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 26.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 12.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 21.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.769 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 4.6% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); forest degradation; soil erosion; contaminated water from human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents; unmanaged solid waste; wildlife conservation; air pollution from vehicular emissions
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 147.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 29.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 9.32 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 11.357 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 2.025 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 9.332 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 36.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 210.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Nepali Army is responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling Nepal's commitments to UN peacekeeping, and some domestic duties such as disaster relief/humanitarian assistance, social services, and nature conservation efforts; during the 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Maoist guerrillas; the Army has a long history of supporting UN missions, having sent its first UN observers to Lebanon in 1958 and its first troop contingent to Egypt in 1974; as of 2025, 150,000 Nepali military personnel have deployed on over 40 UN missions; Nepal's key security partners are China, India, and the US
the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas; six Gurkha (aka Gorkha in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added; Gurkhas are also recruited into the Singaporean Police and a special guard in the Sultanate of Brunei known as the Gurkha Reserve Unit (2025) - Military deployments
- 1240 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 440 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 225 Liberia (UNSMIL); 100 South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA); 1,750 (plus about 200 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.0%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing)
Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Army's inventory includes a mix of mostly older equipment largely of British, Chinese, Indian, Russian, and South African origin; in recent years, Nepal has received limited amounts of newer hardware from several countries, including China, Indonesia, Italy, and Russia (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 95,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Indian Mujahedeen
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in Persons
- Tier rating
- Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Nepal remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/nepal/
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 18,671 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 19,874 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 467 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index47.0 / 100as of 2024-Q494 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.7as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.52as of 2024-Q454 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (58/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Nepal — vintage 2026-Q1: Nepal factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/nepal
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata