Rural population in Nepal
Nepal: Rural population was 77.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
77.6%
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
11th
of 214 countries
All-time high
96.0%
in 1970
All-time low
77.6%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Nepal, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Nepal stood at 77.6%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Nepal peaked at 96.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 77.6%, in 2024.
Nepal ranks 11th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 96.0% | — |
| 1971 | 96.0% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 95.8% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 95.6% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 95.4% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 95.2% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 94.9% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 94.7% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 94.4% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 94.2% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 93.9% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 93.6% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 93.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 93.1% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 92.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 92.6% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 92.3% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 92.1% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 91.8% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 91.5% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 91.1% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 90.8% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 90.4% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 90.0% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 89.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 89.1% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 88.7% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 88.2% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 87.7% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 87.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 86.6% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 86.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 85.8% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 85.5% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 85.2% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 84.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 84.5% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 84.2% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 83.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 83.6% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 83.2% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 82.9% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 82.5% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 82.2% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 81.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 81.4% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 81.1% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 80.7% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 80.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 79.8% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 79.0% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 78.5% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 78.1% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 77.6% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 95.2% | 94.2% | 96.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 92.7% | 91.5% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 89.3% | 87.1% | 91.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.0% | 83.6% | 86.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.6% | 79.8% | 83.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.5% | 77.6% | 79.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 8 Saint Lucia 80.7% compare
- 9 Sri Lanka 80.6% compare
- 10 South Sudan 78.4% compare
- 12 Tonga 76.8% compare
- 13 Micronesia (Federated States of) 76.4% compare
- 14 Ethiopia 76.3% compare
More population data for Nepal
- 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)
- Population growth rate -0.601 (2100)
- Population density 222.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.41 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.601 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.8873 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 19,598 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Nepal?
- Rural population in Nepal was 77.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 96.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.6% in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for rural population?
- Nepal ranks 11th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release