Nepal People - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

30,424,878 (July 2021 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nepali (singular and plural)

adjective: Nepali

Ethnic groups

Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%, Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii 1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19% (2011 est.)

note: 125 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2011 national census

Languages

Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Bajjika 3%, Magar 3%, Doteli 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, Baitadeli 1%, other 6.4%, unspecified 0.2%; note - 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2011 national census; many in government and business also speak English (2011 est.)

printed major-language sample:
विश्व तथ्य पुस्तक,आधारभूत जानकारीको लागि अपरिहार्य स्रोत (Nepali)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.36% (male 4,526,786/female 4,073,642)

15-24 years: 20.93% (male 3,276,431/female 3,070,843)

25-54 years: 38.38% (male 5,251,553/female 6,387,365)

55-64 years: 6.64% (male 954,836/female 1,059,360)

65 years and over: 5.69% (male 852,969/female 874,092) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 53

youth dependency ratio: 44.1

elderly dependency ratio: 8.9

potential support ratio: 11.2 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 25.3 years

male: 23.9 years

female: 26.9 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.81% (2021 est.)

Birth rate

17.78 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate

5.57 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate

-4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 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 quite low

Urbanization

urban population: 21% of total population (2021)

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

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

1.472 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.82 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.6 years (2016 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality rate

186 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 25.73 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 27.13 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 24.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.12 years

male: 71.38 years

female: 72.9 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

46.7% (2019)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 91.7% of population

rural: 91.4% of population

total: 91.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 8.3% of population

rural: 8.6% of population

total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.8% (2018)

Physicians density

0.75 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

0.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 91.7% of population

rural: 71.9% of population

total: 75.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.3% of population

rural: 28.1% of population

total: 24.3% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

30,000 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

4.1% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

24.4% (2019)

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2018)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 67.9%

male: 78.6%

female: 59.7% (2018)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2019)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 21.4%

male: 19.7%

female: 23.9% (2017 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Nepal on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nepal 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nepal 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.