South Asia · Lower middle income
Nepal: the economy in numbers
Per person: $1,536, or $6,175 at purchasing power parity. Population: 29.6 million (2025).
$45.5B+3.6%real GDP growth, 2026
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #103 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2027: +3.7%.
GDP per capita
$1,536
2025 · #177 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$6,175
2025 · #158 of 197
Inflation
3.1%
2026 · IMF forecast 2027: 5.8%
Government debt
49.4%
2026 · % of GDP, general government
Population
29.6M
2025 · #52 of 217
Unemployment
10.5%
2025 · ILO estimate
Life expectancy
70.6 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $5.54 billion in 1960, $45.5 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $547 per person in 1960, $1,536 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2017–2026: 4.5% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 7 of 66.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 4.57 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 19.8% in 1974.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2000: 53.0% of GDP in 2003. IMF forecast for 2031: 47.7%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Population
1960: 10.1 million · 2025: 29.6 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 10.5% · 2025: 10.5%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 38.7 years · 2024: 70.6 years.
Exports of goods and services
1965: 7.8% · 2025: 8.8%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 5.0%f | 5.0%f | 47.7%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 5.0%f | 5.0%f | 48.8%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 5.1%f | 5.0%f | 49.9%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 5.7%f | 5.0%f | 51.0%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 3.7%f | 5.8%f | 50.6%f | |||||||
| 2026 | 3.6% | 3.1% | 49.4% | |||||||
| 2025 | $45.5B | $1,536 | $6,175 | 4.4% | 2.7% | 47.4% | 29.6M | 10.5% | 8.8% | |
| 2024 | $43.3B | $1,460 | $5,746 | 3.7% | 4.7% | 47.9% | 29.7M | 10.5% | 70.6 | 7.6% |
| 2023 | $41B | $1,382 | $5,400 | 2.0% | 7.1% | 47.0% | 29.7M | 10.4% | 70.4 | 7.0% |
| 2022 | $41.2B | $1,386 | $5,102 | 5.6% | 7.7% | 42.7% | 29.7M | 10.7% | 70.1 | 6.7% |
| 2021 | $36.9B | $1,253 | $4,546 | 4.8% | 4.1% | 43.3% | 29.5M | 12.2% | 68.4 | 5.1% |
| 2020 | $33.4B | $1,154 | $4,236 | −2.4% | 5.1% | 43.3% | 29M | 13.0% | 69.1 | 6.8% |
| 2019 | $34.2B | $1,203 | $4,261 | 6.7% | 5.6% | 34.0% | 28.4M | 10.5% | 69.3 | 7.8% |
| 2018 | $33.1B | $1,179 | $3,956 | 7.6% | 4.4% | 31.1% | 28.1M | 10.6% | 69.0 | 7.8% |
| 2017 | $29B | $1,034 | $3,605 | 9.0% | 2.8% | 25.0% | 28M | 10.7% | 68.7 | 7.8% |
| 2016 | $24.5B | $877 | $2,976 | 0.4% | 8.8% | 25.0% | 28M | 10.7% | 68.4 | 8.2% |
| 2015 | $24.4B | $876 | $2,957 | 4.0% | 7.9% | 25.7% | 27.8M | 10.6% | 67.4 | 10.2% |
| 2014 | $22.7B | $821 | $2,901 | 6.0% | 8.4% | 27.6% | 27.7M | 10.6% | 67.8 | 10.1% |
| 2013 | $22.2B | $803 | $2,658 | 3.5% | 9.0% | 31.9% | 27.6M | 10.7% | 67.6 | 9.3% |
| 2012 | $21.7B | $788 | $2,466 | 4.7% | 9.5% | 34.5% | 27.5M | 10.6% | 67.4 | 8.8% |
| 2011 | $21.6B | $786 | $2,248 | 3.4% | 9.2% | 32.4% | 27.5M | 10.6% | 67.1 | 7.8% |
| 2010 | $16B | $585 | $2,139 | 4.8% | 9.3% | 35.4% | 27.3M | 10.6% | 66.8 | 9.6% |
| 2009 | $12.9B | $473 | $2,029 | 4.5% | 11.1% | 39.5% | 27.2M | 10.6% | 66.6 | 12.4% |
| 2008 | $12.5B | $465 | $1,942 | 6.1% | 9.9% | 36.8% | 27M | 10.6% | 66.4 | 12.8% |
| 2007 | $10.3B | $385 | $1,809 | 3.4% | 2.3% | 37.9% | 26.8M | 10.6% | 66.2 | 12.9% |
| 2006 | $9.04B | $340 | $1,718 | 3.4% | 6.9% | 42.9% | 26.6M | 10.6% | 65.9 | 13.4% |
| 2005 | $8.13B | $309 | $1,628 | 3.5% | 6.8% | 45.1% | 26.3M | 10.6% | 65.3 | 14.6% |
| 2004 | $7.27B | $280 | $1,542 | 4.7% | 2.8% | 51.3% | 26M | 10.7% | 64.7 | 16.7% |
| 2003 | $6.33B | $246 | $1,453 | 3.9% | 5.7% | 53.0% | 25.7M | 10.6% | 64.2 | 15.7% |
| 2002 | $6.05B | $239 | $1,390 | 0.1% | 3.0% | 51.8% | 25.3M | 10.6% | 63.5 | 17.7% |
| 2001 | $6.01B | $241 | $1,388 | 4.8% | 2.7% | 50.8% | 24.9M | 10.5% | 63.3 | 22.6% |
| 2000 | $5.49B | $224 | $1,317 | 6.2% | 2.5% | 50.8% | 24.5M | 10.5% | 62.6 | 23.3% |
| 1999 | $5.03B | $209 | $1,234 | 4.4% | 7.5% | 24.1M | 10.5% | 62.0 | 22.8% | |
| 1998 | $4.86B | $205 | $1,187 | 3.0% | 11.2% | 23.7M | 10.5% | 61.5 | 22.8% | |
| 1997 | $4.92B | $212 | $1,162 | 5.0% | 4.0% | 23.2M | 10.5% | 60.8 | 26.3% | |
| 1996 | $4.52B | $199 | $1,110 | 5.3% | 9.2% | 22.7M | 10.4% | 60.0 | 22.8% | |
| 1995 | $4.4B | $198 | $1,058 | 3.5% | 7.6% | 22.2M | 10.5% | 59.3 | 25.0% | |
| 1994 | $4.07B | $187 | $1,026 | 8.2% | 8.3% | 21.7M | 10.5% | 58.6 | 19.0% | |
| 1993 | $3.66B | $173 | $952 | 3.8% | 7.5% | 21.2M | 10.5% | 57.6 | 18.4% | |
| 1992 | $3.4B | $165 | $920 | 4.1% | 17.1% | 20.6M | 10.5% | 56.7 | 16.0% | |
| 1991 | $3.92B | $196 | $889 | 6.4% | 15.6% | 20M | 10.5% | 55.6 | 11.5% | |
| 1990 | $3.63B | $186 | $830 | 4.6% | 8.2% | 19.5M | 54.8 | 10.5% | ||
| 1989 | $3.53B | $185 | 4.3% | 8.8% | 19.1M | 54.0 | 11.1% | |||
| 1988 | $3.49B | $187 | 7.7% | 9.0% | 18.6M | 53.1 | 11.4% | |||
| 1987 | $2.96B | $162 | 1.7% | 10.8% | 18.3M | 52.4 | 11.8% | |||
| 1986 | $2.85B | $160 | 4.6% | 19.0% | 17.9M | 51.6 | 11.7% | |||
| 1985 | $2.62B | $150 | 6.1% | 8.1% | 17.5M | 50.9 | 11.5% | |||
| 1984 | $2.58B | $151 | 9.7% | 2.8% | 17.1M | 50.2 | 10.7% | |||
| 1983 | $2.45B | $147 | −3.0% | 12.4% | 16.7M | 49.7 | 10.2% | |||
| 1982 | $2.4B | $147 | 3.8% | 11.7% | 16.3M | 49.2 | 11.6% | |||
| 1981 | $2.28B | $143 | 8.3% | 11.1% | 15.9M | 48.7 | 12.9% | |||
| 1980 | $1.95B | $125 | −2.3% | 14.7% | 15.6M | 48.3 | 11.5% | |||
| 1979 | $1.85B | $122 | 2.4% | 3.6% | 15.2M | 47.8 | 11.8% | |||
| 1978 | $1.6B | $108 | 4.4% | 7.3% | 14.8M | 47.2 | 10.6% | |||
| 1977 | $1.38B | $95 | 3.0% | 9.9% | 14.5M | 46.6 | 11.8% | |||
| 1976 | $1.45B | $102 | 4.4% | −3.1% | 14.2M | 46.0 | 10.8% | |||
| 1975 | $1.58B | $114 | 1.5% | 7.6% | 13.9M | 45.5 | 8.9% | |||
| 1974 | $1.22B | $90 | 6.3% | 19.8% | 13.6M | 44.9 | 5.4% | |||
| 1973 | $972M | $73 | −0.5% | 11.4% | 13.3M | 44.5 | 6.6% | |||
| 1972 | $1.02B | $79 | 3.1% | 8.4% | 13M | 44.1 | 5.7% | |||
| 1971 | $883M | $69 | −1.2% | −2.0% | 12.7M | 43.6 | 5.4% | |||
| 1970 | $866M | $70 | 2.6% | 15.2% | 12.4M | 43.2 | 4.9% | |||
| 1969 | $789M | $65 | 4.5% | 4.1% | 12.2M | 42.7 | 7.0% | |||
| 1968 | $772M | $65 | 0.7% | 1.2% | 11.9M | 42.2 | 6.8% | |||
| 1967 | $842M | $72 | −1.6% | −2.8% | 11.7M | 41.7 | 6.9% | |||
| 1966 | $907M | $79 | 7.0% | 14.4% | 11.4M | 41.2 | 5.6% | |||
| 1965 | $735M | $66 | −1.2% | 8.5% | 11.2M | 40.7 | 7.8% | |||
| 1964 | $496M | $45 | 7.5% | 10.9M | 40.2 | |||||
| 1963 | $497M | $46 | 1.9% | 10.7M | 39.6 | |||||
| 1962 | $574M | $55 | 1.9% | 10.5M | 39.3 | |||||
| 1961 | $532M | $52 | 1.9% | 10.3M | 39.0 | |||||
| 1960 | $508M | $50 | 10.1M | 38.7 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Real growth: IMF data for 2026, World Bank for the other years. Inflation: IMF data for 2026, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in South Asia
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Maldives · Nepal · Sri Lanka
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
- Fiscal year: the IMF reports this economy by fiscal year (latest actual: FY2025/26), so IMF numbers can differ from calendar-year World Bank figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)