About Nepal

Nepal’s overall socio‑economic condition clearly shows that the country still faces significant challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fact that 20.3 percent of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2022 indicates that economic insecurity remains a persistent issue.

Serious challenges are also evident in the health sector—such as the death of 27 children out of every 1,000 live births before reaching the age of five in 2023, and the maternal mortality ratio reaching 174 per 100,000 live births in 2020. The tuberculosis incidence rate of 229 per 100,000 population further highlights the need to strengthen public health services.

While there has been some progress in the education sector, gender disparities and regional inequalities persist. For example, although the proportion of teachers meeting minimum qualifications at the primary level has reached 96.1 percent, women’s participation in organized learning stands at only 75.8 percent.

In terms of gender equality, women hold 33.1 percent of seats in the national parliament, yet their representation in senior and middle management positions remains limited at only 14 percent. In the area of water and sanitation, only 16 percent of the population had access to safely managed drinking water services in 2022, and nearly 40 percent of the urban population continued to live in slum conditions, underscoring rising urban inequalities.

Furthermore, income inequality remains a concern, with 7.9 percent of the population living below 50 percent of median income in 2022, reaffirming the need for more targeted interventions to advance SDG 10—Reduced Inequalities. Taken together, these indicators demonstrate that Nepal requires multidimensional and sustained efforts to reduce poverty, expand access to health services, promote gender equality, ensure equitable access to education, and guarantee safe drinking water and sanitation for all.