Urban and rural population in Nepal
Nepal: Urban and rural population was 19.84 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
19.84 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
43rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
19.84 million
in 2025
All-time low
229,156
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Urban and rural population in Nepal, 1950–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban and rural population in Nepal is 19.84 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population in Nepal peaked at 19.84 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 229,156, in 1950.
Nepal ranks 43rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban and rural population in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 229,156 | — |
| 1951 | 240,846 | +5.1% |
| 1952 | 252,797 | +5.0% |
| 1953 | 265,789 | +5.1% |
| 1954 | 278,802 | +4.9% |
| 1955 | 291,844 | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 304,834 | +4.5% |
| 1957 | 317,734 | +4.2% |
| 1958 | 330,412 | +4.0% |
| 1959 | 343,025 | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 355,786 | +3.7% |
| 1961 | 368,569 | +3.6% |
| 1962 | 380,944 | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 392,698 | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 404,193 | +2.9% |
| 1965 | 415,838 | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 427,891 | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 440,736 | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 454,803 | +3.2% |
| 1969 | 470,437 | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 488,150 | +3.8% |
| 1971 | 508,428 | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 563,028 | +10.7% |
| 1973 | 676,054 | +20.1% |
| 1974 | 838,867 | +24.1% |
| 1975 | 1.04 million | +24.2% |
| 1976 | 1.28 million | +22.4% |
| 1977 | 1.53 million | +19.8% |
| 1978 | 1.79 million | +17.0% |
| 1979 | 2.04 million | +14.2% |
| 1980 | 2.27 million | +11.3% |
| 1981 | 2.46 million | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 2.63 million | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 2.78 million | +5.8% |
| 1984 | 2.92 million | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 3.06 million | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 3.20 million | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 3.34 million | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 3.49 million | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 3.66 million | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 3.86 million | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 4.09 million | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 4.36 million | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 4.67 million | +7.0% |
| 1994 | 5.00 million | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 5.36 million | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 5.75 million | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 6.17 million | +7.3% |
| 1998 | 6.63 million | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 7.12 million | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 7.63 million | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 8.18 million | +7.2% |
| 2002 | 8.87 million | +8.4% |
| 2003 | 9.77 million | +10.1% |
| 2004 | 10.83 million | +10.8% |
| 2005 | 11.97 million | +10.6% |
| 2006 | 13.15 million | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 14.30 million | +8.7% |
| 2008 | 15.36 million | +7.4% |
| 2009 | 16.27 million | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 16.96 million | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 17.34 million | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 17.53 million | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 17.69 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 17.87 million | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 18.07 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 18.25 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 18.37 million | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 18.48 million | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 18.75 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 19.15 million | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 19.50 million | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 19.70 million | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 19.76 million | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 19.80 million | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 19.84 million | +0.2% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 19.84 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.62 million, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 19.84 million is above the median for South Asia, which is 12.30 million, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 285,524 | 229,156 | 343,025 | 10 |
| 1960s | 411,190 | 355,786 | 470,437 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.07 million | 488,150 | 2.04 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.98 million | 2.27 million | 3.66 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.30 million | 3.86 million | 7.12 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.63 million | 7.63 million | 16.27 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.93 million | 16.96 million | 18.75 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.62 million | 19.15 million | 19.84 million | 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)
- Population growth rate -0.601 (2100)
- Population density 222.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.41 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population in Nepal?
- Urban and rural population in Nepal was 19.84 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban and rural population recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 19.84 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 229,156 in 1950.
- How does Nepal rank for urban and rural population?
- Nepal ranks 43rd out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban and rural population rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).