Nepal population pyramid 2026
29,629,410 people in 2026 (projected). Nepal’s pyramid is pinched on the male side between ages 25 and 54, the mark of large-scale labour emigration, and its base has narrowed fast since 2000.
- 2026 population
- 29.6Mrank 52 of 237
- Median age
- 25.7 yearsoldest rank 164
- Fertility rate
- 1.92births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Transitional6.7% age 65+
Nepal population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Nepal age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 27.7% of the population, while 6.7% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 65.6% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Nepal’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 52.5: about 53 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (42.2 children and 10.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Nepal’s population pyramid
Where the men are missing
The most striking feature of Nepal’s pyramid is the difference between its two sides. Under 20 the sexes are roughly balanced, with boys slightly more numerous, as is normal. From the early twenties onward the male side shrinks well below the female side: there are about 85 men per 100 women at ages 25–29, and about 76 at 40–44. Overall there are roughly 1.4 million more women than men aged 20–54, and the overall sex ratio is near 91, unusually low for a country where boys outnumber girls at birth.
These are residents, so the gap counts the men who are living abroad. Nepal has a long history of men leaving to work, in India and since the 1990s in the Gulf states and Malaysia, and remittances have become a mainstay of the economy. The UN estimates net emigration of about 5.3 million people between 2000 and 2023, and about 290,000 in 2026 alone. The guide to sex ratios by age explains how age-specific migration produces this kind of one-sided pinch, the mirror image of the male bulge it creates in destination countries such as Qatar.
A fast fertility transition
Nepal’s pyramid in 2000 was still a broad triangle, with a total fertility rate of about 4 children per woman. By 2010 the rate had fallen to about 2.5, and by 2023 it was just under 2, below the replacement level. That fall shows up at the bottom of the 2026 pyramid: the largest bands are now the teenagers and those in their early twenties, born about 2002–2011, and each younger band is a little smaller. Emigration of young adults also reduces the number of potential parents in the country, which likely reinforces the narrowing.
Slow growth despite surplus births
Births still exceed deaths by more than two to one in 2026, but emigration absorbs most of that surplus, and the population is about the same in 2026 as in 2023. Under the medium scenario Nepal grows slowly to a peak of about 35.8 million in 2067, deaths first exceed births around 2070, and the median age rises from about 26 today to 35 by 2050. In 2026 its age structure is closest to those of Bangladesh, Djibouti, Bolivia, Nicaragua and the Philippines, though few of them share Nepal’s gap between the sexes.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Nepal’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2070. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2065.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Nepal is projected to record 542,047 births (about one birth every 58 seconds) and 207,364 deaths, a natural increase of 334,683. Net migration adds −292,014 people, ranking #229 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 15,350,689 births, 4,757,417 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −5,262,185. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −1,136,260 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 72.7 years38.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 69.6 years37.0 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 14.0 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 18.6per 1,000 births · 228 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 22.3per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 25.2 yearssex ratio at birth 104.9
Women in Nepal are projected to live 3.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 228 to 18.6 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #65 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 25.2 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Nepal
The median age of 25.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.92 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 71.2 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,629,410 | #52 | Largest first |
| Median age | 25.7 years | #164 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.92 | #118 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.1% | #164 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 71.2 years | #168 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 6.7% | #152 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Nepal
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15–19 | 2,862,595 | 9.7% | 1.4M / 1.4M |
| 2 | 20–24 | 2,833,463 | 9.6% | 1.4M / 1.5M |
| 3 | 10–14 | 2,813,868 | 9.5% | 1.5M / 1.4M |
| 4 | 5–9 | 2,711,888 | 9.2% | 1.4M / 1.3M |
| 5 | 0–4 | 2,672,030 | 9.0% | 1.4M / 1.3M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Nepal has 14,090,564 males and 15,538,845 females. That is 90.7 males per 100 females, ranking #214 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 47.6% of the population and females for 52.4%. There are 1,448,281 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 83.8 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.9 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Nepal has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 8,396,603 in 1950 to 29,629,410 in 2026, a change of 253%. Over the same span, median age moved from 18.6 to 25.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 40.7% to 27.7%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 2.7% to 6.7%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Nepal’s population is projected to grow by about 17%, reaching 34,642,027 in 2050. The median age changes from 25.7 to 35.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 4.4 percentage points to 11.1%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 19.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 35,799,866 in 2067. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 8,396,603 | 18.6 | 6.06 | 37.6 | 390,784 | 218,575 | +3,863 | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 10,123,658 | 18.5 | 6.07 | 38.7 | 453,600 | 250,227 | −13,223 | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 12,436,190 | 18.7 | 5.87 | 43.2 | 533,148 | 260,713 | +1,847 | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 15,553,106 | 18.5 | 5.60 | 48.3 | 628,851 | 264,589 | +5,084 | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 19,524,573 | 18.1 | 5.21 | 54.8 | 744,419 | 249,218 | −640 | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 24,546,509 | 18.3 | 3.98 | 62.6 | 759,927 | 205,421 | −147,193 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 27,341,952 | 20.2 | 2.54 | 66.8 | 624,784 | 192,146 | −269,963 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 28,966,574 | 23.5 | 2.05 | 69.1 | 584,195 | 210,634 | +162,139 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 29,694,614 | 24.7 | 1.98 | 70.4 | 574,297 | 205,841 | −409,782 | -0.1% |
| 2024* | 29,651,054 | 25.0 | 1.96 | 70.6 | 562,232 | 206,740 | −401,282 | -0.1% |
| 2026* | 29,629,410 | 25.7 | 1.92 | 71.2 | 542,047 | 207,364 | −292,014 | +0.1% |
| 2030* | 30,509,996 | 27.1 | 1.86 | 72.1 | 517,956 | 212,891 | −30,351 | +0.9% |
| 2040* | 32,909,537 | 31.1 | 1.78 | 74.2 | 468,338 | 233,538 | −28,734 | +0.6% |
| 2050* | 34,642,027 | 35.0 | 1.73 | 76.0 | 432,533 | 266,361 | −28,003 | +0.4% |
| 2060* | 35,623,033 | 38.6 | 1.71 | 77.8 | 394,701 | 310,436 | −28,595 | +0.2% |
| 2070* | 35,752,366 | 41.8 | 1.70 | 79.4 | 361,289 | 362,103 | −28,811 | -0.1% |
| 2080* | 35,053,476 | 44.4 | 1.69 | 80.8 | 330,865 | 413,814 | −25,836 | -0.3% |
| 2090* | 33,642,041 | 46.1 | 1.68 | 82.3 | 302,311 | 446,128 | −23,473 | -0.5% |
| 2100* | 31,831,433 | 47.4 | 1.67 | 83.7 | 277,714 | 445,765 | −23,094 | -0.6% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,354,560 | 1,317,470 | 2,672,030 | 9.0% |
| 5–9 | 1,391,004 | 1,320,884 | 2,711,888 | 9.2% |
| 10–14 | 1,451,985 | 1,361,883 | 2,813,868 | 9.5% |
| 15–19 | 1,449,939 | 1,412,656 | 2,862,595 | 9.7% |
| 20–24 | 1,377,266 | 1,456,197 | 2,833,463 | 9.6% |
| 25–29 | 1,211,378 | 1,421,157 | 2,632,535 | 8.9% |
| 30–34 | 1,028,326 | 1,305,079 | 2,333,405 | 7.9% |
| 35–39 | 845,850 | 1,143,007 | 1,988,857 | 6.7% |
| 40–44 | 776,240 | 1,019,006 | 1,795,246 | 6.1% |
| 45–49 | 699,173 | 858,442 | 1,557,615 | 5.3% |
| 50–54 | 628,251 | 732,385 | 1,360,636 | 4.6% |
| 55–59 | 528,140 | 609,880 | 1,138,020 | 3.8% |
| 60–64 | 437,572 | 493,741 | 931,313 | 3.1% |
| 65–69 | 361,045 | 401,351 | 762,396 | 2.6% |
| 70–74 | 264,995 | 312,868 | 577,863 | 2.0% |
| 75–79 | 169,260 | 211,919 | 381,179 | 1.3% |
| 80–84 | 82,898 | 110,222 | 193,120 | 0.7% |
| 85–89 | 27,140 | 40,142 | 67,282 | 0.2% |
| 90–94 | 5,071 | 9,385 | 14,456 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 453 | 1,113 | 1,566 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 20 | 57 | 77 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Nepal’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Bangladesh98% overlap · median age 26.3
- Djibouti98% overlap · median age 25.2
- Bolivia97% overlap · median age 25.5
- Nicaragua97% overlap · median age 26.3
- Philippines97% overlap · median age 26.6
- Laos96% overlap · median age 25.3
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Nepal.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Nepal Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nepal/
MLA
“Nepal Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nepal/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Nepal Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nepal/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Nepal in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Nepal's population in 2026 is projected at 29,629,410.
What is the median age in Nepal?
The projected median age in Nepal in 2026 is 25.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Nepal?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.92 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Nepal's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 17%, from 29.6M to 34.6M.
What share of Nepal is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 6.7% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 11.1%.
How many babies are born in Nepal each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 542,047 births and 207,364 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 58 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 334,683.
What is life expectancy in Nepal for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 72.7 years for women and 69.6 years for men, a gap of 3.1 years in favour of women.
Does Nepal have more immigrants or emigrants?
Nepal is projected to lose about 292,014 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −5,262,185.
What is the sex ratio in Nepal?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 90.7 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.