MigrantoNepali Diaspora
2.6M Nepalis live abroad — the #29 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 56% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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 destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 56%
1.5M
637.4K
293.9K
204.4K
32.3K
1.7K
571
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Nepal.
Australia is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Australia has increased by 293% since 2015, rising from 50.2K to 197.5K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 92% to 25%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to Asia has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Asia has shifted from 96.1% to 55.6% since 1990.
India is the primary destination for emigrants
India attracts 25% of all emigrants from Nepal, while the second-largest destination receives just 19%.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 523915 |
| 1995 | 602711 |
| 2000 | 707896 |
| 2005 | 1056250 |
| 2010 | 1402556 |
| 2015 | 2112726 |
| 2020 | 2357848 |
| 2024 | 2637195 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| 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 destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Nepal as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Nepal
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Nepalis move to?
Most Nepalis have moved to India, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia — these three countries account for about 56% of all Nepalis living abroad.
How many Nepalis live abroad?
Around 2.6M Nepalis live abroad, making it the #29-largest emigrant population in the world.
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.
How has emigration from Nepal changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Nepal has grown from 2.1M to 2.6M people, a growth of about 25%.
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