Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Nepal
Nepal: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 1,944 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,944 thousands
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
52nd
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,944 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
401.18 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Nepal, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 65 years or older in Nepal stood at 1,944 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Nepal peaked at 1,944 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 401.18 thousands, in 1970.
That places Nepal 52nd out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 401.18 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 413.7 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 426.23 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 439.15 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 452.24 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 465.42 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 478.99 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 492.63 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 507.33 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 522.52 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 538.27 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 554.69 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 570.89 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 587.21 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 603.69 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 619.62 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 635.55 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 651.4 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 667.25 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 683.87 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 701.88 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 721.5 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 742.35 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 765.75 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 786.82 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 809.17 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 830.62 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 852.95 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 876.09 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 900.04 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 924.37 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 948.89 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 974.29 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 1,004 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 1,034 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 1,065 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 1,103 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 1,145 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 1,187 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 1,231 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 1,273 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 1,314 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 1,356 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 1,403 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 1,455 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 1,502 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 1,549 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 1,597 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 1,645 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 1,694 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 1,743 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 1,784 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 1,818 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 1,865 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 1,912 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 1,944 thousands | +1.7% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 1,944 thousands is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 516.96 thousands, 3.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 1,944 thousands is below the median for South Asia, which is 2,396 thousands, 81% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 459.94 thousands | 401.18 thousands | 522.52 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 611.25 thousands | 538.27 thousands | 683.87 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 798.72 thousands | 701.88 thousands | 900.04 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,062 thousands | 924.37 thousands | 1,231 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,479 thousands | 1,273 thousands | 1,694 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,845 thousands | 1,743 thousands | 1,944 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
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 population aged 65 years or older in Nepal?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Nepal was 1,944 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1,944 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 401.18 thousands in 1970.
- How does Nepal rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Nepal ranks 52nd out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release