Nepal — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Nepal: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Nepal — in Southern Asia, between China and India. Political status: federal parliamentary republic. It covers 147,181 sq km. Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north. Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south.
| Capital | Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,334,402 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $149.643 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $5,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 7.1% (2023 est.) |
| Unemployment | 10.8% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 39.9% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Exports | $3.744 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $17.777 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 73 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 28.1 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 21.9% of total population (2023) |
| Government | federal parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH) |
| Languages | Nepali (official) 44.9%, Maithali 11.1%, Bhojpuri 6.2%, Tharu 5.9%, Tamang 4.9%, Bajjika 3.9%, Avadhi 3%, Nepalbhasha (Newari) 3%, Magar Dhut 2.8%, Doteli 1.7%, Urdu 1.4%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.2%, Gurung 1.1%, other 8.9% (2021 est.) |
Nepal’s GDP is $149.643 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $42.914 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.7% (2024 est.). See where Nepal ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
- What our model rewards: a current-account surplus of $2 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out; public debt under 40% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: unemployment at 10.8%
Timber, Hydropower, Copper, Cobalt, Iron ore.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 91.3% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 6.604 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 57.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 1,935 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $3.744 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $17.777 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $14.0 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Balendra Shah — Prime Minister. President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023)
Nepal maintains 32 embassies and 7 consulates abroad. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 32 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 7 |
Source: Outbound: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions').
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 51 + 14 heliports (registration prefix 9N) |
| Railways | 59 km |
Major airports
Gautam Buddha International Airport (BWA) — Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa); Pokhara International Airport (PHH) — Pokhara; Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) — Kathmandu; Biratnagar Airport (BIR) — Biratnagar; Janakpur Airport (JKR) — Janakpur; Nepalgunj Airport (KEP) — Nepalgunj; Pokhara Domestic Airport (PKR) — Pokhara; Taplejung Airport (TPJ) — Taplejung; Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) — Lukla.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | federal parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Nepal.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Nepal — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Nepal's power score?
Nepal has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.