Unemployment rate in Nepal
Nepal: Unemployment rate was 10.46 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
10.46
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
36th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.04
in 2020
All-time low
10.44
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Nepal, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Nepal is 10.46, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Nepal peaked at 13.04 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.44, in 2023.
That places Nepal 36th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.46 | — |
| 1992 | 10.47 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 10.49 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 10.46 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 10.47 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 10.45 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 10.51 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 10.53 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 10.55 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 10.53 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 10.5 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 10.59 | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 10.64 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 10.65 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 10.59 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 10.61 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 10.64 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 10.6 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 10.58 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 10.56 | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 10.63 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 10.63 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10.67 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 10.62 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 10.64 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 10.71 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 10.66 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 10.59 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 10.48 | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 13.04 | +24.4% |
| 2021 | 12.24 | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 10.66 | -12.9% |
| 2023 | 10.44 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 10.5 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 10.46 | -0.3% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 10.46 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 2.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 10.46 is above the median for South Asia, which is 4.11, 2.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.49 | 10.45 | 10.55 | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.59 | 10.5 | 10.65 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.62 | 10.48 | 10.71 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.22 | 10.44 | 13.04 | 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 unemployment rate in Nepal?
- Unemployment rate in Nepal was 10.46 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 13.04 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.44 in 2023.
- How does Nepal rank for unemployment rate?
- Nepal ranks 36th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).