What is the population of Nepal in 2026?
Nepal has a population of 29,618,118 people (2025 estimate), which is 52nd in the world and about 0.36% of the global total.
Officially Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Population 2025
29,618,118
0.36% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
−0.11%
−32,876 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
207/km²
143,350 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
25.3 years
Life expectancy 70.6 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Nepal
With a population of 29.6 million, Nepal ranks 52nd globally and sits between China and India in Asia. The country covers 143,350 km² at a population density of 207 people per km², supporting a median age of 25.3 years and a fertility rate of 2 births per woman. Annual population growth has turned slightly negative at -0.1%, while life expectancy stands at 70.6 years.
Urban areas account for 67% of the population, concentrated in cities like the capital Kathmandu. The economy remains modest, with GDP per capita of $1,536. Nepal adopted its current federal democratic structure in 2008 and uses the Nepalese rupee as its currency, with Nepali as the primary language spoken across the nation.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Continent
- Asia
- ISO codes
- NP · NPL
- Demonym
- Nepalese
- Currency
- Nepalese rupee (NPR ₨)
- Government
- Federal republic, People's republic
- State inception
- 2008
- Time zone
- UTC+05:45
- Driving side
- Left
- Calling code
- +977
- Internet TLD
- .np
- Land neighbours
- 2
Languages
- Nepali
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 28.4%
- Age 15–64
- 65.1%
- Age 65+
- 6.5%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 17 | 48 |
| 95-99 | 406 | 970 |
| 90-94 | 4,508 | 8,487 |
| 85-89 | 24,147 | 36,266 |
| 80-84 | 77,452 | 102,990 |
| 75-79 | 161,341 | 199,548 |
| 70-74 | 260,182 | 303,705 |
| 65-69 | 356,406 | 391,873 |
| 60-64 | 439,312 | 476,161 |
| 55-59 | 501,231 | 571,692 |
| 50-54 | 627,224 | 706,725 |
| 45-49 | 689,255 | 816,109 |
| 40-44 | 776,115 | 974,566 |
| 35-39 | 843,014 | 1,113,917 |
| 30-34 | 997,376 | 1,265,787 |
| 25-29 | 1,224,685 | 1,431,879 |
| 20-24 | 1,397,816 | 1,497,774 |
| 15-19 | 1,478,941 | 1,463,584 |
| 10-14 | 1,478,752 | 1,388,807 |
| 5-9 | 1,450,604 | 1,348,014 |
| 0-4 | 1,411,494 | 1,351,879 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 8,396,603 |
| 1960 | 10,123,658 |
| 1970 | 12,436,190 |
| 1980 | 15,553,105 |
| 1990 | 19,524,573 |
| 2000 | 24,546,509 |
| 2010 | 27,341,952 |
| 2020 | 28,966,574 |
| 2030 | 30,509,996 |
| 2040 | 32,909,537 |
| 2050 | 34,642,027 |
| 2060 | 35,623,033 |
| 2070 | 35,752,366 |
| 2080 | 35,053,476 |
| 2090 | 33,642,041 |
| 2100 | 31,831,433 |
How Nepal Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Nepal | 29.6M |
Countries Bordering Nepal
2 land borders.
Nepal Population FAQ
Is the population of Nepal growing or shrinking?
Nepal's population is shrinking at −0.11% per year, a change of roughly 32,876 people annually.
What is the capital of Nepal?
The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu.
How densely populated is Nepal?
Nepal has 207/km² across 143,350 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Nepal?
Life expectancy at birth in Nepal is 70.6 years (2024).
What is the median age in Nepal?
The median age in Nepal is 25.3 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Nepal in?
Nepal is in Asia.