Identity
Name origin: 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 mount…
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Nepal
AsiaRegional Champion
Nepal leads Asia in renewable energy. Discover what makes it the regional champion.
Nepal leads Asia in renewable energy. With 73.7%, it sets the regional standard. Discover what makes it the regional champion.
28.0, 84.0 - Asia
Area
147K km²
Pop.
31.33M
Stats
122
Reality brief
Nepal is a country in Asia with a population of 31.33M and an area of 147,181 km². Life expectancy is 70.4 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Population Density
207.15 /km²#65globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Land Area
143.3K km²#93globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Life Expectancy
70.4 years#148globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Internet Users (%)
56%#173globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Nepal
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Curated stat
Nepal packs eight of the world's fourteen classic 8,000-meter peaks into one mountain country.
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly larger than New York State.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Nepal
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Highest Elevation
8.8K m#2globallyTop stat
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
45.72 µg/m³#22globallyTop stat
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
Renewable Energy (%)
73.7%#24globallyTop stat
The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro.
Unemployment Rate
10.71%#37globally
The percentage of the workforce that is unemployed but actively looking for work.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #131 in railway length
#13159 kmRailway Length
Total railway length from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #151 in hospital beds (per 1,000)
#1510.40 per 1kHospital Beds (per 1,000)
The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
Only ranks #223 in coastline length
#2230 kmCoastline Length
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #183 in obesity rate
#1836.6%Obesity Rate
Share of adults with obesity, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Only ranks #151 in high-tech exports (%)
#1510.62%High-Tech Exports (%)
High-tech products (like computers, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace) as a percentage of total manufactured exports.
Compared with the region
How Nepal Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Nepal
Asia avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $5,736.62
- Region avg
- $34,339.76
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Nepal$5,736.62
Asia$34,339.76
World$31,844.55
-82% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 70.4 years
- Region avg
- 75.3 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Nepal70.4 years
Asia75.3 years
World73.7 years
-5% below worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.62
- Region avg
- 0.75
- World avg
- 0.74
Nepal0.62
Asia0.75
World0.74
-16% below worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 56%
- Region avg
- 75.77%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Nepal56%
Asia75.77%
World70.29%
-20% below worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Nepal
Country briefing
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.
Read the full Factbook note
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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southern Asia, between China and India
- Climate
- varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
- Terrain
- Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north
- Natural Resources
- quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
- Natural Hazards
- severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than New York State
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Nepali (official) 44.9%, Maithali 11.1%, Bhojpuri 6.2%, Tharu 5.9%, Tamang 4.9%, Bajjika 3.9%, Avadhi 3%, Nepalbhasha (Newari) 3%, Magar Dhut 2.8%, Doteli 1.7%, Urdu 1.4%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.2%, Gurung 1.1%, other 8.9% (2021 est.)
- Religions
- Hindu 81.2%, Buddhist 8.2%, Muslim 5.1%, Kirat 3.2%, Christian 1.8%; less than 1%: Prakriti, Bon, Jains, Sikh (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Chhettri 16.5%, Brahman-Hill 11.3%, Magar 6.9%, Tharu 6.2%, Tamang 5.6%, Bishwokarma 5%, Musalman 4.9%, Newar 4.6%, Yadav 4.2%, Rai 2.2%, Pariyar 1.9%, Gurung 1.9%, Thakuri 1.7%, Mijar 1.6%, Teli 1.5%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.4%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 20% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023)
Government & History9 facts
- Government Type
- federal parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Capital Coordinates
- 27 43 N, 85 19 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)
- National Symbols
- rhododendron blossom
- National Anthem
- "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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
- Industries
- tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production
- Agricultural Products
- rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, wheat, bison milk, milk, mangoes/guavas, bananas (2023)
- Export Partners
- India 67%, USA 12%, Germany 3%, China 2%, UK 2% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- knotted carpets, garments, flat-rolled iron, synthetic fibers, palm oil (2023)
- Import Partners
- India 71%, China 17%, UAE 3%, Singapore 2%, Germany 1% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, iron reductions, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing) Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025)
- Energy Mix
- solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- state operates 3 TV stations, as well as national and regional radio stations; 117 television channels are licensed, 71 of which are cable TV, 3 are distributed through Direct-To-Home (DTH) system, and 4 are digital terrestrial; 736 FM radio stations are licensed, and at least 314 of those are community stations (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #2
Highest Elevation
8.8K m#2
Lowest Elevation
70 m#30
Land Border Length
3.2K km#63
Coastline Length
0 km#223
Environment9 statsBest: #22
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Renewable Energy (%)
Irrigated Land
12.1K km²#37
Protected Land (%)
Forest Area
Forest Coverage (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #37
Unemployment Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
GDP Growth Rate
GDP (Nominal)
Government Debt (% GDP)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #38
Smoking Rate
Suicide Rate
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Health Spending (% GDP)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Obesity Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Demographics12 statsBest: #45
Teen Birth Rate
Population
Population Density
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Land Area
Urban Population (%)
Dependency Ratio
Fertility Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Death Rate
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #52
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #55
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #64
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #89
Airports
Railway Length
59 km#131
Education & Future3 statsBest: #111
Energy1 statsBest: #112
Electric Generating Capacity
2.85M kW#112
Keep exploring
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Nepal
#53 in Population
The total number of people living in the country.
Top 25% globally
31.33M
Frequently Asked Questions about Nepal
What is the population of Nepal?
Nepal has a population of 31.33M, ranking #53 globally by population.
What continent is Nepal in?
Nepal is located in Asia. It has an area of 147,181 km².
What is the life expectancy in Nepal?
Life expectancy in Nepal is 70.4 years, ranking #148 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Nepal?
Nepal's GDP per capita (PPP) is $5,736.62, ranking #159 globally.
What is Nepal known for in global statistics?
Nepal ranks particularly high in Population (#53), Population Density (#65), Land Area (#93).
What is Nepal's Human Development Index?
Nepal has an HDI of 0.622, ranking #145 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Nepal?
Nepal has a population density of 207.1 people per km², ranking #65 globally.