Population density in Nepal
Nepal: Population density was 207.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
207.15 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
65th
of 215 countries
All-time high
207.29 people per sq. km of land area
in 2022
All-time low
72.16 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Nepal, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Nepal is 207.15 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Nepal peaked at 207.29 people per sq. km of land area in 2022 and was at its lowest, 72.16 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Nepal 65th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 72.16 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 73.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 75.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 76.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 78.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 79.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 81.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 83.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 85.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 86.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 88.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 90.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 92.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 94.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 99.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 101.39 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 103.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 106.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 108.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 111.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 113.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 116.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 119.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 122.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 124.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 127.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 130.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 133.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 136.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 140.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 144.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 148.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 151.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 155.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 159.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 162.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 165.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 168.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 171.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 174.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 176.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 179.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 181.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 183.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 185.32 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 186.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 188.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 189.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 190.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 191.59 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 192.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 192.47 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 193.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 194.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 195.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 195.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 195.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 198.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 202.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 205.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 207.29 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 207.15 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 78.34 people per sq. km of land area | 72.16 people per sq. km of land area | 85.08 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 96.19 people per sq. km of land area | 86.97 people per sq. km of land area | 106.23 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 120.87 people per sq. km of land area | 108.76 people per sq. km of land area | 133.27 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 153.2 people per sq. km of land area | 136.53 people per sq. km of land area | 168.71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 181.62 people per sq. km of land area | 171.24 people per sq. km of land area | 189.56 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 193.85 people per sq. km of land area | 190.74 people per sq. km of land area | 198.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 205.53 people per sq. km of land area | 202.07 people per sq. km of land area | 207.29 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 62 North Korea 219.4 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 63 Marshall Islands 215.71 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 64 Antigua and Barbuda 212.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 66 Italy 199.46 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 67 Saint Kitts and Nevis 179.84 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 68 Andorra 172.03 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Nepal
- Population in the largest city 8.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 53.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.0565 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.67 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 3.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 10.96 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.67 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.26 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 27.33 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Nepal?
- Population density in Nepal was 207.15 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 207.29 people per sq. km of land area in 2022.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.16 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Nepal rank for population density?
- Nepal ranks 65th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.