Population by labor force status in Nepal
Nepal: Population by labor force status was 8.31 million people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
8.31 million people
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
50th
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.31 million people
in 2004
All-time low
8.31 million people
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Population by labor force status in Nepal, 1991–2025
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, population by labor force status in Nepal stood at 8.31 million people. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by labor force status in Nepal peaked at 10.31 million people in 2004 and was at its lowest, 8.31 million people, in 2025.
That places Nepal 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Population by labor force status in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 8.31 million people | — |
| 1992 | 8.53 million people | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 8.76 million people | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 8.98 million people | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 9.21 million people | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 9.43 million people | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 9.62 million people | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 9.78 million people | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 9.92 million people | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 10.05 million people | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 10.16 million people | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 10.24 million people | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 10.29 million people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 10.31 million people | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 10.31 million people | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 10.27 million people | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 10.20 million people | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 10.11 million people | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 9.99 million people | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 9.84 million people | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 9.69 million people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 9.56 million people | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 9.43 million people | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 9.31 million people | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 9.19 million people | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 9.09 million people | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 8.98 million people | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 8.88 million people | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 8.79 million people | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 8.71 million people | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 8.65 million people | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 8.60 million people | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 8.53 million people | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 8.43 million people | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 8.31 million people | -1.4% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 8.31 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.79 million people, 2.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 8.31 million people is above the median for South Asia, which is 6.67 million people, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.17 million people | 8.31 million people | 9.92 million people | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.19 million people | 9.99 million people | 10.31 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.28 million people | 8.79 million people | 9.84 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.54 million people | 8.31 million people | 8.71 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More work & labour data for Nepal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.593 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.568 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6174 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8524 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,496 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 22,611 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 16,146 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 15,685 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 31,831 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population by labor force status in Nepal?
- Population by labor force status in Nepal was 8.31 million people in 2025, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by labor force status recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 10.31 million people in 2004.
- What is the lowest population by labor force status recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.31 million people in 2025.
- How does Nepal rank for population by labor force status?
- Nepal ranks 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population by labor force status rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by labor force status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Population below working age (under 15 years old).