2020 Edition

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.

Area

land

143,351 sq km

total

147,181 sq km

water

3,830 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New York State

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 84 00 E

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

Irrigated land

12,090 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 1,389 km; India 1,770 km

total

3,159 km

Land use

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.)

forest

43.5% (2023 est.)

other

27.7% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Major aquifers

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

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)

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

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

Terrain

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

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

16.66 births/1,000 population (2025 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)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.3% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

75.1% (2022 est.)

Death rate

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

9.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

10.4 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

46.8 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

37.2 (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.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.88 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

8% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

22.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

25.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 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) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.7 years

male

72.2 years

total population

73 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

59.4% (2019 est.)

male

79.8% (2019 est.)

total population

68.7% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

142 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

28.6 years

male

26.5 years

total

28.1 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.4 years (2016 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Nepali

noun

Nepali (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

4.1% (2016)

Physician density

1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

15,981,696

male

15,352,706

total

31,334,402 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.66% (2025 est.)

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.)

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2023 est.)

male

14 years (2023 est.)

total

14 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.95 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

7.6% (2025 est.)

male

40.3% (2025 est.)

total

22.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

21.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim

Capital

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

geographic coordinates

27 43 N, 85 19 E

name

Kathmandu

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

15 years

Constitution

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

history

several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Nepal

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Dean R. THOMPSON (since October 2022)

email address and website

usembktm@state.gov https://np.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu

FAX

[977] (1) 400-7272

mailing address

6190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC 20521-6190

telephone

[977] (1) 423-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2730 34th Place NW, Washington, DC 20007

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/

FAX

[1] (202) 667-5534

telephone

[1] (202) 667-4550

Executive branch

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

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

head of government

Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025)

most recent election date

9 March 2023

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

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges)

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

subordinate courts

High Court; district courts

Legal system

English common law and Hindu legal concepts

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Federal Parliament (Sanghiya Sansad)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha)

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

5 March 2026

most recent election date

11/20/2022

number of seats

275 (all directly elected)

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)

percentage of women in chamber

0%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha)

expected date of next election

January 2026

most recent election date

1/25/2024

number of seats

59 (56 indirectly elected; 3 appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

37.3%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 2007

lyrics/music

Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG

title

"Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers)

National color(s)

red

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Kathmandu Valley (c); Sagarmatha National Park (n); Chitwan National Park (n); Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c)

total World Heritage Sites

4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 20 September (2015)

National symbol(s)

rhododendron blossom

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

$9.1 billion (2021 est.)

revenues

$7.625 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance

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.)

Debt - external

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

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.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$2.106 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$2.258 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$3.744 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

knotted carpets, garments, flat-rolled iron, synthetic fibers, palm oil (2023)

Exports - partners

India 67%, USA 12%, Germany 3%, China 2%, UK 2% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

7.6% (2024 est.)

government consumption

7.4% (2024 est.)

household consumption

86.3% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-32.9% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.3% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

6.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

21.9% (2024 est.)

industry

11.4% (2024 est.)

services

55.2% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$42.914 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

30 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.2% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

3.7% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$15.227 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$13.877 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$17.777 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, iron reductions, broadcasting equipment (2023)

Imports - partners

India 71%, China 17%, UAE 3%, Singapore 2%, Germany 1% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

0.1% (2024 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (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.)

Labor force

8.435 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.3% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2021

39.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

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.)

Real GDP growth rate

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.)

Real GDP per capita

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.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

22% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

25.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

33.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

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.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

10.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

10.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

10.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

23.6% (2024 est.)

male

19.3% (2024 est.)

total

20.8% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

100 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

1.076 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

9,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

8 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

9.806 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

1.1 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

1.846 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 - total population

91.3% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

97.7%

Electricity generation sources

hydroelectricity

99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

6.604 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

71,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2022 est.)

total

1.44 million (2022 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

Internet users

percent of population

56% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

726,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

29.6 million (2024 est.)

Airports

51 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9N

Heliports

14 (2025)

Railways

narrow gauge

59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge

total

59 km (2018)

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 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 and security service personnel strengths

approximately 95,000 active Armed Forces (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 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 expenditures

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 service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

18,671 (2024 est.)

refugees

19,874 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

467 (2024 est.)

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/

Terrorist group(s)

Indian Mujahedeen

Carbon dioxide emissions

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.)

total emissions

11.357 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 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

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

Particulate matter emissions

36.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

210.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

9.32 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

29.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

147.6 million cubic meters (2022 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.)