By Our Reporter
Nepal’s population has reached 29,192,480, according to the preliminary results of the Census 2021 that conducted in November last year
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) made the preliminary census results in public last week. Nepal’s population increased by 2.69 million in 10 years since the last census conducted in 2011. The size of the population was 26.49 million then. This is an increase of 10.18 per cent in a decade.
However, the birth rate in the country has gone down to 0.93 per cent against 1.35 per cent a decade ago. The population growth rate is highest – 3.32 per cent – in Bhaktapur. Similarly, the population of women is higher than the of males. There are 14,291,311 males and 14,901,169 females – 48.96 per cent and 51.04 per cent respectively.
Likewise, there are 6,761,059 families in the country, they live in 5,643,945 houses. It means about 12 families live in 10 houses. The census found that there are 4.32 members in a family on average. The size of the family is decreased compared to the census in 2011 when there were 4.88 people in a family. There are 4.55 members in a family in the rural areas and 4.25 members in the cities.
Madhes province has the largest size of population among the seven provinces.
About 6,126,288 people live in Madhes while there are 1,694,889 people in Karnali Province.
In terms of districts, Kathmandu has the largest population – 2.17 million. Morang, Rupandehi, Jhapa and Sunsari are among the districts that have the highest number of people living. But Manang has only 5,674 people. Other districts having a smaller size population are Mustang, Dolpa, Rasuwa and Humla.
Altogether, 32 districts in the hill and mountain region have a negative population growth rate because of increasing migration to the urban areas of Tarai and Kathmandu.
About 63 per cent of people in the country now live in urban areas and 37 per cent in rural areas against 17 per cent 83 per cent respectively a decade ago.
The population density in the country has reached 198 people per square kilometre from 180 people per square km in 2011. The population density in Terai is 461 people per square km and in mountains 34 people per square km.
The highest density is in Kathmandu with 5,108 people living in a square km while only three people live in a square km in Manang.
The CBS also said that although census activities couldn’t be conducted in Lipulek, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani region, the size of the estimated population in these areas is between 500-600.
The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the survey and results of the census 2021.
The CBS was planning to conduct a household listing in May last year and a questionnaire fill up in June. But the second wave of coronavirus pandemic and lockdown disturbed the schedule and CBS announced a new timetable for the task.
All activities of the Census 2021 were suspended by the government on 2 May 2021. The survey was conducted in November last year.
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