Kathmandu, Nepal Population 2024

Kathmandu's 2024 population is now estimated at 1,621,640In 1950, the population of Kathmandu was 104,479Kathmandu has grown by 50,630 in the last year, which represents a 3.22% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Kathmandu, which typically includes Kathmandu's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Kathmandu is the largest municipality and the capital of Nepal. It's also the only city in the country with the Mahanagar (Metropolitan City) municipal status.

Kathmandu makes up the core of the largest urban agglomeration in the city in the Kathmandu Valley, which also includes Kirtipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi, and smaller regions. Informally, the city is called KTM or the tri-city.

Kathmandu accounts for 1/12 of Nepal's total population, and it's the main gateway to the country's tourism industry. The city has a history going back more than 2,000 years.

City Size and Population Density

The city proper has a population density of 20,288 people per square kilometer (52,550 residents per square mile). This great population density is made possible by the rather small surface area the city has available, which comes to a total of approximately 50 square kilometers (19 square miles).

Kathmandu Demographics

Kathmandu is a very ethnically and culturally diverse city. The Newar are the largest ethnic group at 30% of the population, followed by the Matwali at 25% -- which includes the Tamang, Gurung, Sunuwar, Magars, and others -- the Khas Brahmins at 20%, and the Chettris at 18.5% of the population. The Tamangs were initially from the surrounding hills of the region. Many hill ethnic groups from Terai (the marshy forests and grasslands on the outer foothills of the Himalaya) have also migrated to the area.

Hinduism and Buddhism are the two primary religions in the city. Nepal remains the only official Hindu state in the world.

Nepali is the most commonly spoken language, as well as Nepal Bhasa and English. Hindi is also spoken and understood by most of the educated population.

The Nepal Earthquake

In April 2015, Kathmandu was devastated by the Nepal or Gorkha earthquake. This 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 9,000 and injured over 23,000. It triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 19, which was the deadliest day of the mountain's history. The earthquake destroyed many landmarks and centuries-old structures in the region, including parts of the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple, and the Swayambhunath Stupa. The Swayambhunath or Monkey Temple is one of the oldest religious sites in the country. While it's considered a Buddhist temple, it's revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike.

Disaster experts knew the earthquake's damage to the area was coming. The valley is located on a fault line, and the city has an annual growth rate of 6.5% combined with one of the highest urban densities on earth and 1.5 million people living in the valley. Rampant code violations and haphazard urbanization in the region have been blamed for the high death toll.

Country
Nepal
Growth Rate
3.22%

86 Rows

Year
Population
20352,220,440
20342,163,120
20332,106,300
20322,049,990
20311,994,250
20301,939,080
20291,884,520
20281,830,610
20271,777,370
20261,724,800
20251,672,900
20241,621,640
20231,571,010
20221,521,060
20211,471,870
20201,423,520
20191,376,110
20181,329,730
20171,277,460
20161,227,250
20151,179,010
20141,132,660
20131,088,140
20121,045,370
20111,004,280
2010964,802
2009926,879
2008890,495
2007855,445
2006821,820
2005789,516
2004758,524
2003728,669
2002700,027
2001672,511
2000641,986
1999612,668
1998584,727
1997558,060
1996532,644
1995508,319
1994485,137
1993463,012
1992441,925
1991421,743
1990397,973
1989375,436
1988354,203
1987334,117
1986315,196
1985297,346
1984280,529
1983264,621
1982249,635
1981235,498
1980225,143
1979215,288
1978205,878
1977196,878
1976188,284
1975180,043
1974172,173
1973164,647
1972157,460
1971150,568
1970147,247
1969144,081
1968140,987
1967137,951
1966134,985
1965132,083
1964129,247
1963126,464
1962123,745
1961121,084
1960119,177
1959117,312
1958115,479
1957113,675
1956111,901
1955110,151
1954108,430
1953106,735
1952105,920
1951105,197
1950104,479

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
1950104,4790%0
1951105,1970.69%718
1952105,9200.69%723
1953106,7350.77%815
1954108,4301.59%1,695
1955110,1511.59%1,721
1956111,9011.59%1,750
1957113,6751.59%1,774
1958115,4791.59%1,804
1959117,3121.59%1,833
1960119,1771.59%1,865
1961121,0841.6%1,907
1962123,7452.2%2,661
1963126,4642.2%2,719
1964129,2472.2%2,783
1965132,0832.19%2,836
1966134,9852.2%2,902
1967137,9512.2%2,966
1968140,9872.2%3,036
1969144,0812.19%3,094
1970147,2472.2%3,166
1971150,5682.26%3,321
1972157,4604.58%6,892
1973164,6474.56%7,187
1974172,1734.57%7,526
1975180,0434.57%7,870
1976188,2844.58%8,241
1977196,8784.56%8,594
1978205,8784.57%9,000
1979215,2884.57%9,410
1980225,1434.58%9,855
1981235,4984.6%10,355
1982249,6356%14,137
1983264,6216%14,986
1984280,5296.01%15,908
1985297,3465.99%16,817
1986315,1966%17,850
1987334,1176%18,921
1988354,2036.01%20,086
1989375,4365.99%21,233
1990397,9736%22,537
1991421,7435.97%23,770
1992441,9254.79%20,182
1993463,0124.77%21,087
1994485,1374.78%22,125
1995508,3194.78%23,182
1996532,6444.79%24,325
1997558,0604.77%25,416
1998584,7274.78%26,667
1999612,6684.78%27,941
2000641,9864.79%29,318
2001672,5114.75%30,525
2002700,0274.09%27,516
2003728,6694.09%28,642
2004758,5244.1%29,855
2005789,5164.09%30,992
2006821,8204.09%32,304
2007855,4454.09%33,625
2008890,4954.1%35,050
2009926,8794.09%36,384
2010964,8024.09%37,923
20111,004,2804.09%39,478
20121,045,3704.09%41,090
20131,088,1404.09%42,770
20141,132,6604.09%44,520
20151,179,0104.09%46,350
20161,227,2504.09%48,240
20171,277,4604.09%50,210
20181,329,7304.09%52,270
20191,376,1103.49%46,380
20201,423,5203.45%47,410
20211,471,8703.4%48,350
20221,521,0603.34%49,190
20231,571,0103.28%49,950
20241,621,6403.22%50,630
20251,672,9003.16%51,260
20261,724,8003.1%51,900
20271,777,3703.05%52,570
20281,830,6103%53,240
20291,884,5202.94%53,910
20301,939,0802.9%54,560
20311,994,2502.85%55,170
20322,049,9902.8%55,740
20332,106,3002.75%56,310
20342,163,1202.7%56,820
20352,220,4402.65%57,320

Kathmandu Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Kathmandu1,621,6403.22%
Pokhara493,7883.74%

Other Cities in Nepal

  1. Open Nepal - Population of Kathmandu Metropolitan City according to age group and gender - 2011
  2. Central Bureau of Statistics - Kathmandu National Population Census 2011

Sources