Nepal

federal parliamentary republic

name: Kathmandu geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name comes from the Nepalese words kath (wooden) and mandu (temple), referring to the local temples that are often still built from wood

chief of state: President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet positions shared among Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 9 March 2023 election results: 2023: Ram Chandra POUDEL elected president; electoral college vote - Ram Chandra POUDEL (NC) 33,802, Subash Chandra NEMBANG (CPN-UML) 15,518 expected date of next election: 5 March 2026 note: KARKI was sworn in as interim prime minister on 12 September 2025 after Khadga Prasad Sharma OLI resigned on 9 September following violent protests; KARKI will serve until elections are held in March 2026

legislature name: Federal Parliament (Sanghiya Sansad) legislative structure: bicameral note: violent student-led protests in early September 2025 led to the resignation of the Prime Minister; the President dissolved Parliament on 12 September 2015 following the swearing in of an interim prime minister and set elections for 5 March 2026; the major political parties have demanded reinstatement of the Parliament

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice; the chief justice serves a 6-year term; judges serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Court; district courts

history: several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015 amendment process: proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament; bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly; passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership; bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament; parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended

ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing) Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) (2025) note: the Nepal Police are responsible for enforcing law and order across the country; the Armed Police Force is responsible for combating terrorism, providing security during riots and public disturbances, assisting in natural disasters, and protecting vital infrastructure, public officials, and the borders; it also conducts counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations and would assist the Army in the event of an external invasion

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025)

the Nepali Army is responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling Nepal's commitments to UN peacekeeping, and some domestic duties such as disaster relief/humanitarian assistance, social services, and nature conservation efforts; during the 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Maoist guerrillas; the Army has a long history of supporting UN missions, having sent its first UN observers to Lebanon in 1958 and its first troop contingent to Egypt in 1974; as of 2025, 150,000 Nepali military personnel have deployed on over 40 UN missions; Nepal's key security partners are China, India, and the US the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas; six Gurkha (aka Gorkha in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added; Gurkhas are also recruited into the Singaporean Police and a special guard in the Sultanate of Brunei known as the Gurkha Reserve Unit (2025)

1240 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 440 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 225 Liberia (UNSMIL); 100 South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA); 1,750 (plus about 200 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025)

$149.643 billion (2024 est.) $144.352 billion (2023 est.) $141.546 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$5,000 (2024 est.) $4,900 (2023 est.) $4,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.7% (2024 est.) 2% (2023 est.) 5.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

7.1% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) 4.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

39.9% of GDP (2021 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$3.744 billion (2024 est.) $2.258 billion (2023 est.) $2.106 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$17.777 billion (2024 est.) $13.877 billion (2023 est.) $15.227 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

10.8% (2024 est.) 10.7% (2023 est.) 10.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $7.625 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $9.1 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production

rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, wheat, bison milk, milk, mangoes/guavas, bananas (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 31,334,402 (2025 est.) male: 15,352,706 female: 15,981,696

0.66% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 25.8% (male 4,125,244/female 3,909,135) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 10,153,682/female 10,957,011) 65 years and over: 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 961,717/female 1,015,598)

16.66 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 73 years (2024 est.) male: 72.2 years female: 73.7 years

urban population: 21.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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.) note: 141 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2021 national census

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.) major-language sample(s): विश्व तथ्य पुस्तक,आधारभूत जानकारीको लागि अपरिहार्य स्रोत (Nepali) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2021 national census; many in government and business also speak English

Hindu 81.2%, Buddhist 8.2%, Muslim 5.1%, Kirat 3.2%, Christian 1.8%; less than 1%: Prakriti, Bon, Jains, Sikh (2021 est.)

total population: 68.7% (2019 est.) male: 79.8% (2019 est.) female: 59.4% (2019 est.)

quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Indian Mujahedeen note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Nepal remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/nepal/

refugees: 19,874 (2024 est.) IDPs: 18,671 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 467 (2024 est.)

51 (2025)

total: 59 km (2018) narrow gauge: 59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge

total subscriptions: 29.6 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 56% (2023 est.)