Population 23,698,421 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 5,087,855; female 4,779,941)
15-64 years: 55% (male 6,655,865; female 6,387,255)
65 years and over: 3% (male 392,141; female 395,364) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate 2.52% (1998 est.)

Birth rate 35.66 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate 10.44 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate 75.98 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 57.89 years
male: 58.04 years
female: 57.74 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate 4.87 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese

Ethnic groups Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas

Religions Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981)
note: only official Hindu state in the world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups

Languages Nepali (official), 20 other languages divided into numerous dialects

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 27.5%
male: 40.9%
female: 14% (1995 est.)

People - note refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 91,000 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps

NOTE: The information regarding Nepal on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nepal People 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nepal People 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.