Includes Nepal real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Nepal economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.
Basic Information
Government Type: Federal parliamentary republic
Capital City: Kathmandu
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
Central Bank | Central Bank of Nepal |
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Currency |
Nepalese rupees (NPR) |
International Reserves |
USD 8.3 billion (2018) International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019 |
Gross Domestic Product – GDP | USD 28.8 billion (2018, estimate) |
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) | USD 86.1 billion (2018, estimate) |
GDP Data
Real GDP growth |
2014: 6.0% 2015: 3.3% 2016: 0.6% 2017*: 7.9% 2018*: 6.3% *Estimate |
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GDP per capita – current prices | USD 972.4 (2018, estimate) |
GDP per capita – PPP | Intl$ 2,904.9 (2018, estimate) |
GDP (PPP) – share of world total | 0.07% (2019, estimate) |
GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 25.0% industry: 13.4% services: 50.3% (2018 estimate) |
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) | N/A |
Inflation |
2014: 7.2% 2015: 9.9% 2016: 4.5% 2017*: 4.2% 2018*: 4.5% *Estimate |
Nepal
Inflation & Debt
Inflation |
2014: 7.2% 2015: 9.9% 2016: 4.5% 2017*: 4.2% 2018*: 4.5% *Estimate |
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Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: N/A Moody’s: N/A Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017) |
Unemployment rate | N/A |
Household saving rates | N/A |
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) |
2014: 25.6% 2015: 27.9% 2016: 26.1% 2017*: 30.2% 2018*: 32.6% *Estimate |
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2014: 0.7% 2015: 1.4% 2016: -3.1% 2017*: -6.7% 2018*: -4.3% *Estimate |
Market value of publicly traded shares | N/A |
Largest Companies | N/A |
Import/Export
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) | 8.8% (2018) |
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Shares in world total merchandising export | 0.03% (2018) |
Shares in world total commercial services export | 0.02% (2015) |
Total exports | USD 3.3 billion (2018 estimate) |
Export commodities | Clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods |
Total imports | USD 18.0 billion (2018 estimate) |
Import commodities |
Petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine |
Exports – major partners | India 53.1%, US 11.8%, Turkey 7.2% (2017) |
Imports – major partners |
India 70.2%, China 7.5% (2017) |
Competitiveness & Trade
Current account balance | USD -2.4 billion (2018 estimate) |
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Current account balance by percentage of GDP | -8.1% (2018 estimate) |
FDI inflows |
2013: USD 71 million 2014: USD 30 million 2015: USD 51 million |
FDI Outflows |
2016: $106 million 2017: $129 million 2018: $161 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
N/A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
Best countries for doing business |
Overall ranking: 94 out of 190 countries Starting a Business: 135 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 107 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 135 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 97 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 37 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 79 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 175 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 60 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 151 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 87 out of 190 countries World Bank – Doing Business 2019 |
Global competitiveness ranking |
108 out of 141 countries World Economic Forum – The Global Competitiveness Index 2019 |
Index of Economic Freedom |
Ranking: 136 / Score: 53.8 (Mostly unfree) (100=totally free 0=totally repressed) |
Population & Geographic Data
Time Zone |
UTC+5.75 |
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Total Area | 147,181 sq km |
Total Population |
1990: 18.9 million 2000: 23.9 million 2010: 27.0 million 2015*: 27.0 million 2020*: 28.8 million *Estimate |
Urban population as % of total population |
1960: 3.5% 1980: 6.1% 2000: 13.4% 2018: 19.7% |
Population median age | 23.6 years (2016 estimate) |
Population growth rate | 1.24% (2016 estimate) |
Life expectancy | 70.7 years (2016 estimate) |
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day | 14.7% (2010) |
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) |
32.8 (2010) (0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality) |
Freedom House rating |
Political Rights: 3 Civil Liberties: 4 (2017) (1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating) |
Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed 2.98% Mobile 96.75% (2015) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
Internet users as % of total population | 17.58% (2015) |
Language & Religon
Languages | Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Bajjika 3%, Magar 3%, Doteli 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, Baitadeli 1%, other 6.4%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.) |
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Literacy |
Total population: 63.9% Male: 76.4% Female: 53.1% (2015 est.) (age 15 and over can read and write) |
Religions | Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.) |
World Rankings
Population | 28.8 M |
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Mercer Cost of living index | N/A |
C02 Emissions per capita | 0.2 (2013) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Nepal
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000