Asian Development Bank and Nepal: Fact Sheet

Abstract

Updated yearly, this ADB Fact Sheet provides social and economic indicators on the Nepal as well as concise information on ADB's operations in the country and contact information. Nepal has made slow, but steady, progress in reducing poverty in the past decade, with poverty incidence estimated to have declined to 31% in 2004, from 42% in 1996. Social and human development indicators, such as life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality rates, and adult literacy, have all improved, and despite a decade-long conflict, the country has made notable progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Nevertheless, Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with per capita income of $447 per annum, wide income disparities, and poor access by a large section of the population to basic social services. Nepal is on track to achieve the MDG targets of improving poverty incidence, gender disparity in primary and secondary education, child mortality, and maternal health by 2015. However, despite some improvements, achieving the targets in primary education, HIV/AIDS, and sustainable access to improved sanitation may be difficult. Nepal continues to face formidable development challenges. Delivering services and fostering economic activity in a landlocked country with rugged topography is difficult and costly. About 80% of Nepal’s population still lives in rural areas, and the country is characterized by small landholdings, rapid population growth, and a fragile ecology, resulting in chronic poverty in many parts of the country. In addition, the political transition that Nepal is currently undergoing is proving to be arduous, weakening the country’s focus on reform and development agenda.