Nepal Population 2024 (Live)

31,136,781

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.

Population Rank
Growth Rate
2024 World Percentage
Land Area
143,350
The current population of Nepal is 31,136,781 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1, 2024 population at 31,240,315.

Nepal Growth Rate

Nepal Population 2024 (Live)

Nepal Population Clock

Nepal Population (as of 3/11/2024)31,136,781
Next UN Estimate (July 1, 2024)31,240,315
Births per Day1,666
Deaths per Day563
Migrations per Day-170
Net Change per Day933
Population Change Since Jan. 166,243

Components of Population Change

One birth every 52 seconds
One death every 2.55 minutes
One emigrant every 8.47 minutes
Net gain of one person every 1.55 minutes

Nepal Population Clock

City
2024 Population
Kathmandu1,442,271
Pokhara200,000
Patan183,310
Biratnagar182,324
Birganj133,238
Dharan108,600
Bharatpur107,157
Janakpur93,767
Dhangadhi92,294
Butwal91,733

Nepal Area and Population Density

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.

Largest Cities in Nepal

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.

Nepal Population Density Map

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
202431,240,3151.62%2184968
202330,896,5901.62%2164969
202029,348,6271.79%2054971
201928,832,4961.14%2015071
201828,506,7121.15%1995071
201728,183,4261.16%1975071
201527,610,3250.33%1934970
201027,161,5670.66%1894666
200526,285,1101.37%1834362
200024,559,5001.94%1714163
199522,305,5712.6%1564265
199019,616,5302.26%1374467
198517,540,5712.37%1224369
198015,600,4422.3%1094374
197513,925,5412.18%974076
197012,501,2852.16%874279
196511,232,9512.01%784281
196010,167,9411.83%714182
19559,284,8952.03%654083

Nepal Population by Year (Historical)

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
202431,240,3151.62%2184968
202531,577,3611.47%2205067
203033,133,3950.97%2315367
203534,448,8170.78%2405364
204035,568,8020.64%2485463
204536,557,1010.55%2555462
205037,401,3650.46%2615561
205538,049,0530.34%2655860
206038,446,2870.21%2685959
206538,601,8000.08%2695857
207038,512,777-0.05%2695760
207538,189,243-0.17%2665760
208037,621,963-0.3%2625861
208536,834,499-0.42%2575962
209035,875,632-0.53%2506165
209534,832,626-0.59%2436266

Nepal Population by Year (Projections)

Nepal Population Pyramid 2024

Nepal Median Age

25.3

Total

23.9

Male

26.9

Female

Nepal Population by Age

There are people over age 18 in Nepal.

Census Years

Year
Date
20212021
201122 June 2011
200122 June 2001
199122 June 1991

Nepal Population Pyramid

Nepal Demographics

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%.

Nepal Religion, Economy and Politics

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.

Nepal Population History

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.

Nepal Population Rank 2024
Country Age
Area (km²)
147,181
2024 Growth Rate
Capital
GDP (IMF '23)
$41.34
GDP (UN '22)
$39.41 Bn

Nepal - General Info

  1. Central Bureau of Statistics
  2. World Population Prospects (2022 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.
  3. GeoNames

Sources