Nepal
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
Location
Southern Asia, between China and India
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
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)
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)
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
Terrain
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
18.3% (2022 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
75.1% (2022 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 46.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 37.2 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.6 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.4 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
3.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 10.8% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.88 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2021) 8% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 25.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 68.7% (2019 est.) male: 79.8% (2019 est.) female: 59.4% (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
142 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20.4 years (2016 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality
noun: Nepali (singular and plural) adjective: Nepali
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
4.1% (2016)
Physician density
1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 14 years (2023 est.) male: 14 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 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 total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 22.9% (2025 est.) male: 40.3% (2025 est.) female: 7.6% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 21.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 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.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
Constitution
history: several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015 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
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Nepal local long form: none local 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
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
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Kathmandu Valley (c); Sagarmatha National Park (n); Chitwan National Park (n); Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c)
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
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$1.954 billion (2024 est.) $146.66 million (2023 est.) -$3.088 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$5.719 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 133.727 (2024 est.) 132.115 (2023 est.) 125.199 (2022 est.) 118.134 (2021 est.) 118.345 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
0.1% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.1% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) 4.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
39.9% of GDP (2021 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
33.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 25.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 22% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$12.456 billion (2023 est.) $9.319 billion (2022 est.) $9.639 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
17.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 95,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing) Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) (2025) note: the Nepal Police are responsible for enforcing law and order across the country; the Armed Police Force is responsible for combating terrorism, providing security during riots and public disturbances, assisting in natural disasters, and protecting vital infrastructure, public officials, and the borders; it also conducts counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations and would assist the Army in the event of an external invasion
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)
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)
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)
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025)