MigrantoMigration trends in Nepal
Asia
Nepal loses more people than it takes in: 2.6M emigrants against 458.9K immigrants. Net balance −2.2M — 7% of the country's population
29.7M
Population
458.9K
Immigrants
2.6M
Emigrants
−2.2M
Outflow
1 in 65 residents of Nepal was born abroad — and 1 in 12 people born in Nepal lives abroad
#29 in the world by net migration loss
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Nepal
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
411K immigrants · 523.9K emigrants
1995
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 59%
- Surge of immigrants from Bhutan — 90.9K new arrivals
- The foreign-born population passed 500K residents
2000
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
2005
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora grew by 49%
- The diaspora passed 1M people
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 410.4K
- Malaysia became a significant new destination — 192.3K residents had moved there
2015
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora grew by 51%
- Surge of departures to Saudi Arabia — 207.1K people left
- Surge of departures to Qatar — 123.5K people left
Today
- Since 1990: roughly the same number of foreign-born residents and 2.1M more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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