Nepal Travel Podcast with Bibek Shrestha

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Terrain

Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north

Climate

Varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Elevation

Highest point

Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m

Lowest point

Kanchan Kalan 70 m

Mean elevation

2,565 m

Area

Total

147,181 sq km

Land

143,351 sq km

Water

3,830 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than New York State

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

3,159 km

Border countries

China 1,389 km; India 1,770 km

Natural resources

Quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Land use

Agricultural land

26.1% (2023 est.)

Arable land

12.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

12.5% (2023 est.)

Forest

43.5% (2023 est.)

Other

27.7% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons

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

Population

Total

31,334,402 (2025 est.)

Male

15,352,706

Female

15,981,696

Nationality

Noun

Nepali (singular and plural)

Adjective

Nepali

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.)

Languages

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)

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.)

Median age

Total

28.1 years (2025 est.)

Male

26.5 years

Female

28.6 years

Life expectancy

Total population

73 years (2024 est.)

Male

72.2 years

Female

73.7 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

21.9% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

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

Largest cities

1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023)

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.

Government

Federal parliamentary republic

Capital

Kathmandu

Time zone

UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

None

Independence

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)

National day

Constitution Day, 20 September (2015)

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$5,000 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$4,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$4,800 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.1% (2021 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

10.8% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

10.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

10.9% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

133.727 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

132.115 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

125.199 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

118.134 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

118.345 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production

Agriculture

Rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, wheat, bison milk, milk, mangoes/guavas, bananas (2023)

Airports

51 (2025)

Railways

Total

59 km (2018)

Narrow gauge

59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge

Internet domain

.np

Internet users

Percent of population 56% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

29.6 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2024 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

Fresh water

210.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)