According to current projections, Nepal’s population is expected to surpass 30 million people in 2022 and will reach its peak population of 35.32 million by 2049. After 2050, the population is expected to shrink, falling back down to 24.04 million people by the end of the century.
After experiencing a small decline in its population from 2011 to 2014, Nepal’s population is currently growing at a fairly quick rate of 1.85%. Since 2015, this rate has increased every year from 0.00% in 2015, to 0.92% in 2016, 1.35% in 2017, 1.68% in 2018, and 1.83% in 2019. The population growth rate is expected to slow down significantly in the next three decades.
The population growth rate is slowing down due to a decreasing fertility rate, which is currently at 1.93 births per woman. The fertility rate is below the population replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman and has significantly decreased since 2000 when it was 4.41 births per woman.
| Nepal Population (as of 11/19/2024) | 29,633,298 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 29,651,100 |
| Births per Day | 1,539 |
| Deaths per Day | 566 |
| Migrations per Day | -1,099 |
| Net Change per Day | -125 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | -40,500 |
Net decrease of 1 person every 11.52 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 56 seconds | |
| One death every 2.55 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 1.32 minutes | |
| Net loss of one person every 11.52 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Kathmandu | 1,442,271 |
| Pokhara | 200,000 |
| Patan | 183,310 |
| Biratnagar | 182,324 |
| Birganj | 133,238 |
| Dharan | 108,600 |
| Bharatpur | 107,157 |
| Janakpur | 93,767 |
| Dhangadhi | 92,294 |
| Butwal | 91,733 |
The total surface area of Nepal is at 147,181 square kilometers which converts to approximately 56,826.90 square miles. With the above population in mind, this translates to a total population density of approximately 201 people per square kilometer, or 77 people per square miles. Much of the population is concentrated in Kathmandu however, at 52,000 people per square miles or 20,288 per square kilometer.
The largest cities in Nepal are Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Patan. Kathmandu has nearly 1.5 million residents, while Pokhara and Patan both hover around 200,000 in population.
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29,651,100 | 0.86% | 207 | 51 | 72 |
| 2023 | 29,694,600 | 1.13% | 207 | 51 | 72 |
| 2020 | 28,966,600 | 1.94% | 202 | 49 | 73 |
| 2019 | 28,414,100 | 1.19% | 198 | 50 | 73 |
| 2018 | 28,079,700 | 0.24% | 196 | 50 | 72 |
| 2017 | 28,011,300 | 0.2% | 195 | 50 | 71 |
| 2015 | 27,823,600 | 0.35% | 194 | 49 | 70 |
| 2010 | 27,342,000 | 0.77% | 191 | 45 | 64 |
| 2005 | 26,309,500 | 1.4% | 184 | 43 | 62 |
| 2000 | 24,546,500 | 1.99% | 171 | 40 | 63 |
| 1995 | 22,245,400 | 2.64% | 155 | 42 | 65 |
| 1990 | 19,524,600 | 2.24% | 136 | 44 | 67 |
| 1985 | 17,477,700 | 2.36% | 122 | 43 | 69 |
| 1980 | 15,553,100 | 2.32% | 108 | 43 | 74 |
| 1975 | 13,870,700 | 2.21% | 97 | 42 | 75 |
| 1970 | 12,436,200 | 2.17% | 87 | 42 | 80 |
| 1965 | 11,173,400 | 1.99% | 78 | 42 | 82 |
| 1960 | 10,123,700 | 1.8% | 71 | 41 | 83 |
| 1955 | 9,257,980 | 1.97% | 65 | 40 | 83 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29,651,100 | 0.86% | 207 | 51 | 72 |
| 2025 | 29,618,100 | 0.45% | 207 | 52 | 71 |
| 2030 | 30,510,000 | 0.6% | 213 | 53 | 71 |
| 2035 | 31,798,000 | 0.83% | 222 | 55 | 68 |
| 2040 | 32,909,500 | 0.69% | 230 | 55 | 67 |
| 2045 | 33,861,100 | 0.57% | 236 | 58 | 64 |
| 2050 | 34,642,000 | 0.46% | 242 | 58 | 63 |
| 2055 | 35,231,700 | 0.34% | 246 | 58 | 63 |
| 2060 | 35,623,000 | 0.22% | 249 | 58 | 63 |
| 2065 | 35,792,100 | 0.1% | 250 | 59 | 63 |
| 2070 | 35,752,400 | -0.02% | 249 | 59 | 62 |
| 2075 | 35,502,900 | -0.14% | 248 | 59 | 63 |
| 2080 | 35,053,500 | -0.26% | 245 | 60 | 64 |
| 2085 | 34,422,300 | -0.36% | 240 | 62 | 66 |
| 2090 | 33,642,000 | -0.46% | 235 | 62 | 67 |
| 2095 | 32,763,500 | -0.53% | 229 | 63 | 70 |
25.3
Total
23.9
Male
26.9
Female
There are people over age 18 in Nepal.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2021 |
| 2011 | 22 June 2011 |
| 2001 | 22 June 2001 |
| 1991 | 22 June 1991 |
Nepal has a host of ethnicities present. East Asian mixed people, as well as Indo-Aryans, live in the mountains and hilly regions of the country, while Tibetans inhabit the central and western part of Nepal. As a result, Nepal can boast of a multi-ethnic population that also houses a host of different cultures that are shared by its inhabitants.
The languages used in Nepal include Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Magar 3%, Bajjika 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, other 10.4%, and unspecified at 0.2%.
It also has many different religions present, most significantly Hinduism and Buddhism, but minorities of Muslims and Christians are present as well. The World Factbook gives us a breakdown of Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, and unspecified faiths 0.2% being practiced among the population from a 2011 estimation.
All of the above factors have also resulted in a lax growth of fundamental institutions such as basic education for everyone in the country. This has resulted in a meager literacy ratehttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html (of those over 15 years of age) of only 63.49% in Nepal, of which 76.4% are males and 53.1% are females. Moreover, life expectancy in Nepal lies at 66.51 years. Specifically, male life expectancy is at 65.26 years, while female life expectancy is at 67.82 years.
Additional factors that influence quality of life can also be considered. This includes the low access to improved sanitation, only at 45.8% of the population. Access to clean drinking water is higher, at 91.6% of the population. In terms of health care, 5.8% of the GDP is spent on the health sector, resulting in a physician density of approximately .6 physicians per 1,000 residents and 3 hospital beds being available per 1,000 residents.
Growth rates were a bit out of control, coming to close to 3% in the latter half of the 20th century, but started to become more manageable around the turn of the century. Causes of the rampant growth have been thought to be a combination of poverty, illiteracy, early marriage, religious beliefs, and growing internal migration.