Demographics & population — Nepal
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for Nepal: 30,327,877
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Population overview
- Population
30,327,877
- Population Growth Rate
1.81%
- Urban Population
17.000000
- Population in Major Urban Areas
KATHMANDU (capital) 1.015 million
Age & family
- Age Structure
30.930000
- Median Age
22.400000
- Birth Rate - births/1,000 population
21
- Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population
6.68
- Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman
2.36
- Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49
49.7%
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49
49.7%
- Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)
20.1
- Mother's mean age at first birth
20.1
- Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female
1.040000
Migration
- Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population
3.3
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
- Language Note
As many as twenty major languages are spoken with many different dialects. The Nepali language is related to Hindi, which is the official language.
- Nationality Noun
Nepalese (singular and plural)
Education
- Literacy - total population
48.6%
- Literacy - male
62.7%
- Literacy - female
34.9%
- Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
- Education Expenditures - percent of GDP
4.7%
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
12.000000
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
66.860000
- Infant Mortality Rate
41.760000
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
41.760000
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
170
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
21
- Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
4.7
- Health Expenditures - percent of GDP
5.4%
- Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
high
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
1.4%
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
90.300000
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved
51.200000
- Underweight - percent of children under five years
29.1%