Nepal Demographics

Population of Nepal (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Nepal

Nepal Population
29,629,410
see live
Yearly Change
+0.04%
Global Share
0.36%
Global Rank
52

Median Age

The median age in Nepal is 25.7 years (2026).

Fertility in Nepal

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.92
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Nepal

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
71.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
72.7
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
69.6
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Nepal


Infant Mortality
18.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
22.3
(per 1,000 live births)


Nepal Urban Population

Currently, 67.2% of the population of Nepal is urban (19,918,170 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Nepal is 207 people per km² (535 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 143,351 km² (55,348 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Municipalities in Nepal

The 30 largest of 49 cities and municipalities, ranked by population at the census of November 25, 2021 (by Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal).

RankCity or MunicipalityPopulation
1Kathmandu862,400
2Pokhara513,504
3Bharatpur369,268
4Lalitpur294,098
5Birgunj272,382
6BiratnagarMorang243,927
7Ghorahiincl. Tribhuvannagar200,530
8Dhangadhi198,792
9Itahari197,241
10Janakpur194,556
11Butwal194,335
12Hetauda193,576
13Tulsipur179,755
14Budhanilkantha177,557
15Dharan166,531
16Nepalganj164,444
17Birendranagar153,863
18Tarakeshwar151,479
19Tilottama149,479
20Gokarneshwar149,366
21Suryabinayak140,085
22Chandragiri136,860
23Kalaiya136,222
24Tokha133,755
25MechinagarDhulabari-Kakarbhitta133,073
26Kageshwari Manohara130,433
27Jitpur Simara127,307
28Mahalaxmi123,116
29Bhimdatta122,320
30Sundarharaicha120,213
See all 49 cities and municipalities in Nepal

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.