Economy of Nepal

Economy of Nepal
	Kathmandu, the financial centre and capital of Nepal
Currency	Nepalese rupee (NPR, रू)
Fiscal year	16 July - 15 July
Trade organizations	WTO and SAFTA
Country group	Least developed; Lower-middle income economy;
Statistics
Population	29,164,578 (2021)
GDP	$49.112 billion (nominal, 2026 est); $194.852 billion (PPP, 2026 est);
GDP growth	3.7% (FY2024-25); 4.3% (FY2025-26); 5.2% (FY2026-27)projected.;
GDP per capita	$1,658 (nominal, 2026 est.); $6,578 (PPP, 2026 est.);
GDP by sector	Agriculture: 21.9%; Industry: 11.4%; Services: 55.2%; (2024 est.)
Inflation (CPI)	4.7% (2024)
Population below poverty line	10.8% (2022); 25.3% on less than $3.20/day (2022);
Gini coefficient	32.8 medium (2010)
Human Development Index	0.622; medium (2023) (145nd) 0.437 low IHDI (2021);
Labour force	16,016,973 (2020); semi skilled labor; 76.2% employment rate (2020);
Labour force by occupation	agriculture: 43.1%; industry: 21.24%; services: 35.66%; (2020);
Unemployment	12.6% (2022)
Main industries	tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production
External
Exports	$3.744 billion (2024-25)
Export goods	clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods
Main export partners	India(-) 67% (2024-25); USA(+) 12% (2024-25); Others(-) 21% (2024-25);
Imports	$17.78 billion (2024-25)
Import goods	petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine
Main import partners	India(+) 71%(2024-25); China(+) 17%(2024-25); Others(-) 12% (2024-25);
FDI stock	$20 billion (31 July 2013 est.); Abroad: NA;
Gross external debt	$11 billion (31 December 2020)
Public finances
Government debt	41.38% of GDP (2021/22)
Foreign reserves	$19.8 billion (mid-december 2025)
Budget balance	−1% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Revenues	10.925 billion (2017 est.)
Expenses	15.945 billion (2017 est.)
	All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

Nepal’s economy is largely driven by agriculture, services, industry, and tourism. Agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for most of the population, while the service sector including trade, transport, and communications has become increasingly important. In recent years, hydropower , manufacturing, and information technology have shown growing potential, supported by government efforts to attract investment and improve infrastructure. The country continues to pursue policies aimed at sustainable growth and regional economic integration.