Nepal Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Nepal is 29,596,762 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 29,651,054 in 2024.

Nepal is ranked 52/197 by population and was ranked 43rd in 2006.
Nepal accounts for 0.36% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Nepal has had an average growth rate of 0.57% per year.
Nepal is projected to reach 35.8M people in 2067.
Since 2006, population has increased from 26.6M people to 29.6M (11.4% growth in 20 years).

Nepal population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	31,902,377	-0.59%
2099	32,090,762	-0.58%
2098	32,277,789	-0.57%
2097	32,464,318	-0.56%
2096	32,647,891	-0.55%
2095	32,828,594	-0.55%
2094	33,009,460	-0.53%
2093	33,186,290	-0.52%
2092	33,361,327	-0.51%
2091	33,532,505	-0.5%
2090	33,699,660	-0.48%
2089	33,863,636	-0.47%
2088	34,022,597	-0.45%
2087	34,175,457	-0.43%
2086	34,322,945	-0.42%
2085	34,468,441	-0.4%
2084	34,605,513	-0.37%
2083	34,735,114	-0.35%
2082	34,856,938	-0.33%
2081	34,972,075	-0.31%
2080	35,080,783	-0.29%
2079	35,183,584	-0.27%
2078	35,277,254	-0.24%
2077	35,362,658	-0.22%
2076	35,440,746	-0.2%
2075	35,510,291	-0.18%
2074	35,573,094	-0.15%
2073	35,627,375	-0.12%
2072	35,670,886	-0.11%
2071	35,709,979	-0.08%
2070	35,739,580	-0.05%
2069	35,759,193	-0.03%
2068	35,770,405	-0.01%
2067	35,774,081	0.01%
2066	35,770,220	0.03%
2065	35,758,824	0.06%
2064	35,737,661	0.08%
2063	35,709,945	0.11%
2062	35,669,839	0.13%
2061	35,623,365	0.16%
2060	35,567,728	0.18%
2059	35,503,043	0.21%
2058	35,427,419	0.23%
2057	35,345,633	0.26%
2056	35,253,644	0.28%
2055	35,155,433	0.3%
2054	35,050,330	0.33%
2053	34,936,594	0.35%
2052	34,816,009	0.38%
2051	34,684,328	0.4%
2050	34,546,267	0.42%
2049	34,400,898	0.44%
2048	34,250,249	0.47%
2047	34,091,495	0.5%
2046	33,921,975	0.52%
2045	33,747,892	0.54%
2044	33,566,784	0.56%
2043	33,380,395	0.58%
2042	33,186,321	0.6%
2041	32,987,097	0.63%
2040	32,781,189	0.65%
2039	32,569,731	0.68%
2038	32,349,742	0.7%
2037	32,125,036	0.73%
2036	31,892,962	0.75%
2035	31,653,976	0.78%
2034	31,407,460	0.82%
2033	31,152,292	0.85%
2032	30,890,627	0.87%
2031	30,623,706	0.9%
2030	30,349,201	0.93%
2029	30,068,368	0.97%
2028	29,780,585	0.52%
2027	29,627,864	0.14%
2026	29,585,230	-0.07%
2025	29,605,298	-0.15%
2024	29,651,054	-0.15%
2023	29,694,614	-0.07%
2022	29,715,436	0.82%
2021	29,475,010	1.76%
2020	28,966,574	1.94%
2019	28,414,064	1.19%
2018	28,079,689	0.24%
2017	28,011,258	0.2%
2016	27,955,462	0.47%
2015	27,823,629	0.55%
2014	27,672,370	0.3%
2013	27,589,996	0.2%
2012	27,534,915	0.26%
2011	27,464,494	0.45%
2010	27,341,952	0.62%
2009	27,173,035	0.68%
2008	26,990,037	0.75%
2007	26,788,492	0.84%
2006	26,565,425	0.97%
2005	26,309,458	1.13%
2004	26,016,656	1.28%
2003	25,688,758	1.42%
2002	25,328,981	1.53%
2001	24,946,748	1.63%
2000	24,546,509	1.75%
1999	24,125,199	1.88%
1998	23,680,357	1.98%
1997	23,219,463	2.1%
1996	22,741,862	2.23%
1995	22,245,439	2.43%
1994	21,717,479	2.54%
1993	21,180,159	2.77%
1992	20,609,707	2.86%
1991	20,036,500	2.62%
1990	19,524,573	2.45%
1989	19,057,807	2.25%
1988	18,638,661	2.13%
1987	18,250,505	2.14%
1986	17,868,124	2.23%
1985	17,477,692	2.3%
1984	17,085,242	2.37%
1983	16,689,119	2.4%
1982	16,297,987	2.36%
1981	15,922,423	2.37%
1980	15,553,105	2.39%
1979	15,190,590	2.36%
1978	14,839,695	2.35%
1977	14,499,175	2.27%
1976	14,177,649	2.21%
1975	13,870,695	2.23%
1974	13,568,435	2.21%
1973	13,275,239	2.2%
1972	12,989,099	2.2%
1971	12,710,061	2.2%
1970	12,436,190	2.21%
1969	12,167,036	2.19%
1968	11,906,266	2.18%
1967	11,652,716	2.14%
1966	11,408,710	2.11%
1965	11,173,411	2.07%
1964	10,946,392	2.02%
1963	10,729,818	1.98%
1962	10,521,116	1.96%
1961	10,318,396	1.92%
1960	10,123,658	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/nepal | CC BY

Nepal has a population of 29.6M as of 2026, compared to 28M in 2016, 26.6M in 2006, and 22.7M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 0.59% per year. Nepal is ranked 126th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Nepal will have 33,921,975 people (14.6% growth) with a rank change from 52nd to 58th.

By the year 2100, Nepal's population is projected to grow by 7.79% from its current level to 31.9M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-364,699
2024	-	-	-401,282
2023	-41,332	368,450	-409,782
2022	-300	379,021	-379,321
2021	481,166	351,165	130,001
2020	535,692	373,553	162,139
2019	569,316	387,113	182,203
2018	99,425	394,576	-295,151
2017	37,432	406,219	-368,787
2016	74,173	415,921	-341,748
2015	189,503	410,565	-221,062
2014	113,010	423,166	-310,156
2013	51,740	424,804	-373,064
2012	58,444	430,151	-371,707
2011	82,405	429,957	-347,552
2010	162,668	432,631	-269,963
2009	175,146	441,290	-266,144
2008	190,813	452,353	-261,540
2007	212,254	464,780	-252,526
2006	233,880	475,335	-241,455
2005	278,069	489,093	-211,024
2004	307,517	504,853	-197,336
2003	348,261	516,575	-168,314
2002	371,315	525,045	-153,730
2001	393,145	542,118	-148,973
2000	407,313	554,506	-147,193
1999	435,296	557,847	-122,551
1998	454,387	562,787	-108,400
1997	467,428	565,882	-98,454
1996	487,792	580,099	-92,307
1995	505,051	591,283	-86,232
1994	550,878	578,293	-27,415
1993	523,767	561,549	-37,782
1992	617,142	533,029	84,113
1991	529,289	512,233	17,056
1990	494,562	495,202	-640
1989	438,963	478,771	-39,808
1988	399,335	463,581	-64,246
1987	376,963	449,400	-72,437
1986	387,785	434,802	-47,017
1985	393,086	423,240	-30,154
1984	391,822	411,122	-19,300
1983	400,407	399,103	1,304
1982	381,843	385,741	-3,898
1981	369,290	374,145	-4,855
1980	369,338	364,254	5,084
1979	355,685	355,597	88
1978	346,111	345,765	346
1977	334,951	332,843	2,108
1976	308,103	323,222	-15,119
1975	305,793	312,479	-6,686
1974	298,717	303,078	-4,361
1973	287,674	288,750	-1,076
1972	284,601	286,708	-2,107
1971	273,468	280,752	-7,284
1970	274,286	272,439	1,847
1969	264,033	264,560	-527
1968	257,513	258,259	-746
1967	249,587	249,240	347
1966	238,410	241,716	-3,306
1965	232,175	233,726	-1,551
1964	221,861	227,948	-6,087
1963	211,283	219,586	-8,303
1962	206,119	215,368	-9,249
1961	199,316	209,917	-10,601
1960	190,151	203,374	-13,223

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/nepal | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 67.9% of the population change in Nepal is from natural causes (a gain of 3,909,749 people) and 32.1% is from migration (a loss of 1,851,664 people).

As of 2024, 470,719 residents or 1.6% of the population were not native-born in Nepal, compared to 581,889 and 2.1% in 2010.

Nepal population clock

	Nepal	Rank
Current population	29596762	52/197
Percent of world population	0.36%	52/197
One net population change	12.1 minutes	189/197
One birth every	54.9 seconds	49/196
One death every	2.55 minutes	51/196
Daily growth/decline	-119	189/197
Annual growth/decline	-43,560	189/197
Annual growth/decline rate	-0.15%	174/197
One migration net change every	1.45 minutes	193/196
Annual migration change	-364,699	193/196
Foreign-born residents	470,719	82/195
Foreign-born share of population	1.6%	142/195

Largest cities by population

Nepal
City	Population
Kathmandu	846K
Lalitpur	513K
Pokhara	354K
Birgunj	268K
Biratnagar	243K
Bheemdatta	105K
Dhangadhi	102K
Janakpur	97.8K
Hetauda	84.7K
Damak	75.1K

Nepal population statistics

	Nepal	World
Life expectancy	71.2 years	73.8 years
Average age	29.5 years	33.8 years
Median age	26 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	47.9:52.1	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.98 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	535 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Nepal.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/nepal | CC BY