About Nepal
With its ancient culture and the Himalayas as a backdrop, landlocked Nepal was closed to the outside world until the 1950s.
Since then the country has seen the creation of a multi-party parliamentary system, a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the abolition of its monarchy.
Flanked by China and India, it is home to eight of the world's highest mountains including Mount Everest, known locally as Sagarmatha.
As one of the world's poorer countries, Nepal's economy relies heavily on aid, tourism and remittances from migrant laborers.
A devastating earthquake in April 2015 killed thousands of people, flattened villages and reduced numerous heritage sites to ruin.
Since then problems in official management has delayed much of the reconstruction despite billions of dollars having been pledged.
- With its ancient culture and the Himalayas as a backdrop, landlocked Nepal was closed to the outside world until the 1950s.
- Since then the country has seen the creation of a multi-party parliamentary system, a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the abolition of its monarchy.
- Flanked by China and India, it is home to eight of the world's highest mountains including Mount Everest, known locally as Sagarmatha.
- As one of the world's poorer countries, Nepal's economy relies heavily on aid, tourism and remittances from migrant laborers.
- A devastating earthquake in April 2015 killed thousands of people, flattened villages and reduced numerous heritage sites to ruin.
- Since then problems in official management has delayed much of the reconstruction despite billions of dollars having been pledged.
COUNTRY INDICATORS
Basic Information
- Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
- Capital: Kathmandu
- Area: 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles)
- Major languages: Nepali
- Major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism
- Currency: Nepalese rupee
Demographics
- Population: 31 million
- Growth rate: 1.4%
- Population density: 198/km²
- Fertility rate: 2.1% (2016)
- Working population: 58% (2017)
- Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 71 years (women)
Economic & Health
- GDP growth rate: 6.3% (2018)
- Prevalence of undernourishment: 9.5% (2015-2017)
- Stunting in children under 5: 36% (2016)
- Malnutrition (wasting) in children under 5: 9.6% (2016)
- Maternal mortality ratio: 258 per 100,000 live births (2015)
- Safe drinking water access: 26.8% (2015)
Data Source: World Bank
Key Development Challenges
Child Malnutrition
36% of children under 5 suffer from stunting, while 9.6% face wasting, highlighting critical nutritional challenges in the country.
Maternal Health
With a maternal mortality ratio of 258 per 100,000 live births, improving maternal healthcare remains a critical priority.
Water Access
Only 26.8% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water services, creating significant health and sanitation challenges.
Earthquake Recovery
Post-2015 earthquake reconstruction continues to face challenges despite significant international funding pledges.
- A number of factors contribute to increasing the resilience of the urban poor: social organization within informal settlements, local level initiatives, and self-help schemes are helping to reduce vulnerability.
- Squatters are relatively organized in demanding their rights (UN, 2013: p. 83), whilst locally established saving and credit groups and cooperatives provide access to credit and financial assets (Dahal, 2011).
- Government policies on urban poverty and informal settlements do not directly address the issue of land tenure (UN, 2013), and no policy exists to prevent unnecessary evictions and violations of housing rights (UN-HABITAT, 2010: p. 59).
- There is a lack of public investment in slums and squatter areas, and housing development trends in Kathmandu largely ignore the urban poor (Shrestha, 2013; UN, 2013).
- Evidence on the efficacy of government resettlement schemes is limited. Squatters have been refusing to stay in new settlements due to inadequate housing size, sites far from jobs, and lack of facilities such as markets and schools (B. Shrestha, personal communication, 20 December 2015).
