Nepal Population 2023 (Live)

31,046,592

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
2023 World Percentage
Land Area
143,350
The current population of Nepal is 31,046,592 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1, 2023 population at 30,896,590.

Nepal Growth Rate

Nepal Population 2023 (Live)

Nepal Population Clock

Nepal Population (as of 12/5/2023)31,046,592
Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2023)30,896,590
Births per Day1,679
Deaths per Day560
Migrations per Day-170
Net Change per Day949
Population Change Since Jan. 1321,711

Components of Population Change

One birth every 51 seconds
One death every 2.57 minutes
One emigrant every 8.47 minutes
Net gain of one person every 1.52 minutes

Nepal Population Clock

City
Population
Kathmandu1,442,271
Pokhara200,000
Patan183,310
Biratnagar182,324
Birganj133,238
Dharan108,600
Bharatpur107,157
Janakpur93,767
Dhangadhi92,294
Butwal91,733
showing: 10 rows

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
19559,284,8952.03%64.774083
196010,167,9411.83%70.934182
196511,232,9512.01%78.364281
197012,501,2852.16%87.214279
197513,925,5412.18%97.144076
198015,600,4422.3%108.834374
198517,540,5712.37%122.364369
199019,616,5302.26%136.844467
199522,305,5712.6%155.604265
200024,559,5001.94%171.334163
200526,285,1101.37%183.364362
201027,161,5670.66%189.484666
201527,610,3250.33%192.614970
201728,183,4261.16%196.615071
201828,506,7121.15%198.865071
201928,832,4961.14%201.135071
202029,348,6271.79%204.734971
202230,547,5801.62%213.104969
202330,896,5901.62%215.534969
showing: 19 rows

Nepal Population by Year (Historical)

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
202330,896,5901.62%215.534969
202431,240,3151.62%217.934968
202531,577,3611.47%220.285067
203033,133,3950.97%231.145367
203534,448,8170.78%240.315364
204035,568,8020.64%248.135463
204536,557,1010.55%255.025462
205037,401,3650.46%260.915561
205538,049,0530.34%265.435860
206038,446,2870.21%268.205959
206538,601,8000.08%269.285857
207038,512,777-0.05%268.665760
207538,189,243-0.17%266.415760
208037,621,963-0.3%262.455861
208536,834,499-0.42%256.955962
209035,875,632-0.53%250.276165
209534,832,626-0.59%242.996266
showing: 17 rows

Nepal Population by Year (Projections)

Nepal Population Pyramid 2023

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
199122 June 1991
200122 June 2001
201122 June 2011
20212021
showing: 4 rows

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 2023
Country Age
Area (km²)
147,181
2023 Growth Rate
Capital
GDP (IMF)
$33.98
GDP (UN)
$20.91 Bn

Nepal - General Info

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

Sources