Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Nepal
Nepal: Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) was 2.4% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
2.4%
World rank
56th
of 133 countries
All-time high
83.0%
in 1984
All-time low
2.4%
in 2022
Years of data
5
1984–2022
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Nepal, 1984–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2022, proportion of population below international poverty line in Nepal stood at 2.4%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of down 89.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Nepal peaked at 83.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2022.
Nepal ranks 56th of 133 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 83.0% | — |
| 1995 | 71.1% | -14.3% |
| 2003 | 55.9% | -21.4% |
| 2010 | 22.1% | -60.5% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | -89.1% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 2.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.2%, 24% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 2.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.7%, 89% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 83.0% | 83.0% | 83.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 71.1% | 71.1% | 71.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 55.9% | 55.9% | 55.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 22.1% | 22.1% | 22.1% | 1 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 53 Sri Lanka 2.7% compare
- 54 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2.5% compare
- 54 Montenegro 2.5% compare
- 57 Uzbekistan 2.3% compare
- 58 Kyrgyzstan 2.2% compare
- 59 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2.1% compare
- 59 Paraguay 2.1% compare
- 59 State of Palestine 2.1% compare
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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Nepal?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Nepal was 2.4% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 83.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Nepal ranks 56th out of 133 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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