Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal
Nepal: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 28.98 million people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal, 1984–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal stood at 28.98 million people. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 35.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal peaked at 28.98 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.94 million people, in 1984.
That places Nepal 35th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 2.94 million people | — |
| 1995 | 6.49 million people | +120.5% |
| 2003 | 11.37 million people | +75.2% |
| 2010 | 21.32 million people | +87.6% |
| 2022 | 28.98 million people | +35.9% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 28.98 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.39 million people, 2.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 28.98 million people is above the median for South Asia, which is 28.98 million people, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.94 million people | 2.94 million people | 2.94 million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 6.49 million people | 6.49 million people | 6.49 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 11.37 million people | 11.37 million people | 11.37 million people | 1 |
| 2010s | 21.32 million people | 21.32 million people | 21.32 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 28.98 million people | 28.98 million people | 28.98 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More poverty & inequality data for Nepal
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,344 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 3.91 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 17.67 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 17.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nepal was 28.98 million people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 28.98 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.94 million people in 1984.
- How does Nepal rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Nepal ranks 35th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.