MigrantoNepali Diaspora
2.6M Nepalis live abroad — 9% of the population of Nepal
Nepali diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 56% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 663518 |
| Malaysia | 502596 |
| Saudi Arabia | 297561 |
| Qatar | 266580 |
| USA | 264317 |
| Australia | 197472 |
| Japan | 185644 |
| Bangladesh | 52621 |
| South Korea | 43743 |
| Canada | 29554 |
| Kuwait | 26292 |
| UAE | 26097 |
| Oman | 18147 |
| Hong Kong | 10073 |
| Denmark | 8562 |
| Portugal | 7466 |
| New Zealand | 6832 |
| Brunei | 6237 |
| Belgium | 5887 |
| Finland | 4232 |
| Bahrain | 2641 |
| Italy | 2550 |
| Norway | 2483 |
| China | 1388 |
| Brazil | 1370 |
| Bhutan | 780 |
| Luxembourg | 418 |
| South Africa | 370 |
| Sri Lanka | 347 |
| Chile | 281 |
| Iceland | 195 |
| Seychelles | 180 |
| Estonia | 148 |
| Hungary | 133 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 125 |
| Greece | 70 |
| Cyprus | 57 |
| Cambodia | 49 |
| Latvia | 41 |
| Slovenia | 31 |
| Bulgaria | 22 |
| Guinea | 21 |
| Georgia | 16 |
| Lithuania | 16 |
| Slovakia | 13 |
| Costa Rica | 11 |
| Bolivia | 7 |
| Liechtenstein | 1 |
By region
56% of the diaspora lives in Asia
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Key facts
The Nepali diaspora in numbers
The community in Australia is growing fastest
The number of Nepalis living in Australia has grown 293% since 2015, from 50.2K to 197.5K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 92% to 25%.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
96.1% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 55.6% today.
Most Nepalis abroad live in India
25% of the diaspora lives in India, while the next country accounts for just 19%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Malaysia, South Korea, Denmark. Malaysia climbed from outside the top 20 to #2.
1 in 11 people born in Nepal lives abroad
2.6M people born in Nepal now live in other countries — 8.9% of a population of 29.7M.
Nepali diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 523915 |
| 1995 | 602711 |
| 2000 | 707896 |
| 2005 | 1056250 |
| 2010 | 1402556 |
| 2015 | 2112726 |
| 2020 | 2357848 |
| 2024 | 2637195 |
Largest communities over time
Nepalis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | India | Malaysia | Saudi Arabia | Qatar | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 479544 | 0 | 8158 | 319 | 2367 |
| 1995 | 543728 | 291 | 12361 | 424 | 5366 |
| 2000 | 628223 | 666 | 12879 | 567 | 15100 |
| 2005 | 709768 | 192332 | 19970 | 23536 | 25899 |
| 2010 | 794073 | 251416 | 73840 | 63862 | 65157 |
| 2015 | 746906 | 502596 | 280894 | 187390 | 121642 |
| 2020 | 696618 | 502596 | 297930 | 248899 | 175669 |
| 2024 | 663518 | 502596 | 297561 | 266580 | 264317 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Nepalis in each country has changed since the selected year
Nepalis among immigrants in other countries
Where Nepalis make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Nepalis live outside Nepal?
Around 2.6M Nepalis live abroad, the world's #29 largest diaspora.
Where do most Nepalis abroad live?
Most Nepalis live in India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia — these three countries account for about 56% of all Nepalis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Nepali population outside Nepal?
India is home to the largest Nepali community abroad — 663.5K people, about 25% of all Nepalis living abroad.
What share of the population of Nepal lives abroad?
About 9% of the population of Nepal lives abroad — that's 2.6M out of a total population of 29.7M.
Is the Nepali diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Nepalis living abroad has grown from 2.1M to 2.6M, about 25%.
Where does the data on the Nepali diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Nepal who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Nepal
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