Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal
Nepal: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate was 0.2288 % change on previous year in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.2288 % change on previous year
Change on year
up 16.2%
World rank
174th
of 234 countries
All-time high
24.24 % change on previous year
in 1975
All-time low
0.1969 % change on previous year
in 2024
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal stood at 0.2288 % change on previous year.
The figure is up 16.2% on the previous year and down 80.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal peaked at 24.24 % change on previous year in 1975 and was at its lowest, 0.1969 % change on previous year, in 2024.
That places Nepal 174th out of 234 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 5.1 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 4.96 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1953 | 5.14 % change on previous year | +3.6% |
| 1954 | 4.9 % change on previous year | -4.7% |
| 1955 | 4.68 % change on previous year | -4.5% |
| 1956 | 4.45 % change on previous year | -4.8% |
| 1957 | 4.23 % change on previous year | -4.9% |
| 1958 | 3.99 % change on previous year | -5.7% |
| 1959 | 3.82 % change on previous year | -4.3% |
| 1960 | 3.72 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1961 | 3.59 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 3.36 % change on previous year | -6.5% |
| 1963 | 3.09 % change on previous year | -8.1% |
| 1964 | 2.93 % change on previous year | -5.1% |
| 1965 | 2.88 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 2.9 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 3 % change on previous year | +3.6% |
| 1968 | 3.19 % change on previous year | +6.3% |
| 1969 | 3.44 % change on previous year | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 3.77 % change on previous year | +9.5% |
| 1971 | 4.15 % change on previous year | +10.3% |
| 1972 | 10.74 % change on previous year | +158.5% |
| 1973 | 20.07 % change on previous year | +86.9% |
| 1974 | 24.08 % change on previous year | +20.0% |
| 1975 | 24.24 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 22.36 % change on previous year | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 19.79 % change on previous year | -11.5% |
| 1978 | 17.01 % change on previous year | -14.0% |
| 1979 | 14.16 % change on previous year | -16.8% |
| 1980 | 11.34 % change on previous year | -19.9% |
| 1981 | 8.48 % change on previous year | -25.2% |
| 1982 | 6.54 % change on previous year | -22.8% |
| 1983 | 5.81 % change on previous year | -11.2% |
| 1984 | 5.23 % change on previous year | -10.0% |
| 1985 | 4.79 % change on previous year | -8.4% |
| 1986 | 4.53 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1987 | 4.4 % change on previous year | -3.0% |
| 1988 | 4.48 % change on previous year | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 4.83 % change on previous year | +7.8% |
| 1990 | 5.37 % change on previous year | +11.2% |
| 1991 | 5.98 % change on previous year | +11.5% |
| 1992 | 6.69 % change on previous year | +11.8% |
| 1993 | 6.99 % change on previous year | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 7.08 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 7.26 % change on previous year | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 7.28 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 7.33 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 7.36 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 7.36 % change on previous year | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 7.29 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 7.22 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 8.42 % change on previous year | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 10.13 % change on previous year | +20.3% |
| 2004 | 10.77 % change on previous year | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 10.59 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 9.85 % change on previous year | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 8.74 % change on previous year | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 7.41 % change on previous year | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 5.9 % change on previous year | -20.4% |
| 2010 | 4.24 % change on previous year | -28.2% |
| 2011 | 2.27 % change on previous year | -46.5% |
| 2012 | 1.08 % change on previous year | -52.6% |
| 2013 | 0.9488 % change on previous year | -11.8% |
| 2014 | 0.9749 % change on previous year | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.15 % change on previous year | +17.9% |
| 2016 | 0.9977 % change on previous year | -13.2% |
| 2017 | 0.6405 % change on previous year | -35.8% |
| 2018 | 0.6016 % change on previous year | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 1.46 % change on previous year | +143.2% |
| 2020 | 2.13 % change on previous year | +45.4% |
| 2021 | 1.82 % change on previous year | -14.6% |
| 2022 | 1.05 % change on previous year | -42.0% |
| 2023 | 0.298 % change on previous year | -71.7% |
| 2024 | 0.1969 % change on previous year | -33.9% |
| 2025 | 0.2288 % change on previous year | +16.2% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 0.2288 % change on previous year is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.77 % change on previous year, 8% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 0.2288 % change on previous year is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.67 % change on previous year, 14% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | +158.5% | 4.15 % change on previous year | 10.74 % change on previous year |
| 2019 | +143.2% | 0.6016 % change on previous year | 1.46 % change on previous year |
| 1973 | +86.9% | 10.74 % change on previous year | 20.07 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.59 % change on previous year | 3.82 % change on previous year | 5.14 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 3.21 % change on previous year | 2.88 % change on previous year | 3.72 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.04 % change on previous year | 3.77 % change on previous year | 24.24 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.04 % change on previous year | 4.4 % change on previous year | 11.34 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.87 % change on previous year | 5.37 % change on previous year | 7.36 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.63 % change on previous year | 5.9 % change on previous year | 10.77 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.44 % change on previous year | 0.6016 % change on previous year | 4.24 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9529 % change on previous year | 0.1969 % change on previous year | 2.13 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 171 Trinidad and Tobago 0.2395 % change on previous year compare
- 172 Belgium 0.2382 % change on previous year compare
- 173 Antigua and Barbuda 0.2295 % change on previous year compare
- 175 Saint Lucia 0.2228 % change on previous year compare
- 176 France 0.2109 % change on previous year compare
- 177 Spain 0.2058 % change on previous year compare
More population data for Nepal
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0333 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6271 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,401 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8872 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8575 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Population density 222.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.41 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Nepal was 0.2288 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 24.24 % change on previous year in 1975.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1969 % change on previous year in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate?
- Nepal ranks 174th out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.