01
Physical geography
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north.
Local timeKathmandu ·
Asia / Southern Asia · Card 030
Nepal
Nepal is a country in Southern Asia. Its capital is Kathmandu.
Find Nepal
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Languages
- Nepali
- Currency
- Nepalese rupee (NPR)
- Population
- 29.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 147,181 km²56,827 square miles
- Republic established
- 2008
Nepal in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Kathmandu; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Nepali.
03
Location
Southern Asia, between China and India.
Flag
Crimson red with a blue border, in the shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller upper triangle has a stylized white moon, and the larger lower triangle has a 12-pointed white sun
History & status
Nepal was unified under the Shah dynasty in the eighteenth century and retained independence during British rule in neighboring India. A civil conflict beginning in 1996 ended with a peace agreement in 2006. The monarchy was abolished in 2008, and a federal constitution followed in 2015.
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Peace agreement ends the civil conflict
-
Republic established
-
Federal constitution adopted
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, remittances, tourism, services and hydropower support the economy. Mountainous terrain and landlocked geography influence transport costs and market access.
Industry and production
tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people29.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12,436,190 | 12.436 |
| 1980 | 15,553,105 | 15.553 |
| 1990 | 19,524,573 | 19.525 |
| 2000 | 24,546,509 | 24.547 |
| 2010 | 27,341,952 | 27.342 |
| 2020 | 28,966,574 | 28.967 |
| 2025 | 29,618,118 | 29.618 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars36.52025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8,253,520,017 | 8.254 |
| 1991 | 8,779,116,585 | 8.779 |
| 1992 | 9,139,622,809 | 9.140 |
| 1993 | 9,491,484,581 | 9.491 |
| 1994 | 10,271,305,209 | 10.271 |
| 1995 | 10,627,560,489 | 10.628 |
| 1996 | 11,193,827,113 | 11.194 |
| 1997 | 11,758,960,073 | 11.759 |
| 1998 | 12,113,656,107 | 12.114 |
| 1999 | 12,648,180,060 | 12.648 |
| 2000 | 13,432,367,221 | 13.432 |
| 2001 | 14,077,106,360 | 14.077 |
| 2002 | 14,094,019,043 | 14.094 |
| 2003 | 14,650,033,416 | 14.650 |
| 2004 | 15,336,036,357 | 15.336 |
| 2005 | 15,869,604,827 | 15.870 |
| 2006 | 16,403,555,897 | 16.404 |
| 2007 | 16,963,173,095 | 16.963 |
| 2008 | 17,998,713,599 | 17.999 |
| 2009 | 18,814,609,456 | 18.815 |
| 2010 | 19,720,799,062 | 19.721 |
| 2011 | 20,395,607,080 | 20.396 |
| 2012 | 21,348,110,877 | 21.348 |
| 2013 | 22,100,664,485 | 22.101 |
| 2014 | 23,429,242,138 | 23.429 |
| 2015 | 24,360,801,287 | 24.361 |
| 2016 | 24,466,311,259 | 24.466 |
| 2017 | 26,662,720,369 | 26.663 |
| 2018 | 28,695,053,195 | 28.695 |
| 2019 | 30,605,298,793 | 30.605 |
| 2020 | 29,880,069,319 | 29.880 |
| 2021 | 31,325,711,777 | 31.326 |
| 2022 | 33,089,761,145 | 33.090 |
| 2023 | 33,745,781,686 | 33.746 |
| 2024 | 34,986,909,218 | 34.987 |
| 2025 | 36,537,085,383 | 36.537 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.622Medium human developmentRank 145 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.404
20000.471
20100.551
20200.599
20230.622
70.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.5 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federal parliamentary republic under the 2015 constitution. The president is head of state, the prime minister leads the government, and the Federal Parliament has two chambers.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Nepal.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Nepal?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.