Economy
High confidencePoverty rate
20.27%
2023latest data
10
out of 100 — Early stage
+-2.1% per year
5-year average trend
What this means
Population living below the national poverty line. Nepal has made significant progress — from 42% in 1996 to under 18% in 2023 — but much remains.
Historical data & projections to 2040
1996–2023Current trend
12.85%
by 2040
Moderate reform (+25%)
11.45%
by 2040
Aggressive reform (+50%)
10.19%
by 2040
Stagnation (-50%)
16.16%
by 2040
Historical data
| Year | Value | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20.27% | risingnepaldaily.com | Preliminary |
| 2022 | 17.4% | World Bank Open Data | Verified |
| 2019 | 20.3% | World Bank Open Data | Verified |
| 2011 | 25.2% | World Bank Open Data | Verified |
| 2004 | 30.9% | World Bank Open Data | Verified |
| 1996 | 41.8% | World Bank Open Data | Verified |
At a glance
Developed country benchmark
2%
Nepal's 2040 target
8%
Progress to benchmark
10% of the way there
Direction
Lower is better
Data confidence
High confidenceRegional comparison
Nepal
20.27%
India
21.9%
Bangladesh
18.7%
SriLanka
14.3%
Benchmark2%
Sources
World Bank Open Data
risingnepaldaily.com
Latest available: 2023 · Updated by Nepal Next: 30 Jul 2026