Death statistics in Nepal: Detailed report from National Census 2078
The mortality rate is highest in Koshi Province and lowest in Karnali Province.
KATHMANDU: According to the National Census 2078, the mortality rate in Nepal is highest in the Koshi Province.
The National Statistics Office shared this information during a press conference on Monday, highlighting the varying death rates across Nepal’s seven provinces.
The mortality rate is highest in Koshi Province and lowest in Karnali Province.
Among a total of 6,660,841 non-institutional households, Koshi Province recorded a mortality rate of 3.1%, while Karnali Province had the lowest at 2.2%.
When comparing district-level data, Kapilvastu had the highest mortality rate at 3.8%, while Rukum-West recorded the lowest at 1.8%.
Among the total non-institutional households, only 2.9% reported the death of any member.
As per the 2078 Census, 198,463 deaths were reported in the 12 months prior to the census, based on 192,178 households.
Among the deceased, 114,996 (58%) were men, and 83,517 (42%) were women. The data also revealed that 97% of households with deaths reported only one member passing away, while 3% reported the death of two members. In some households, as many as six members passed away during this period.
Crude Death Rate in Nepal
Nepal’s crude death rate has shown a steady decline over the years. The crude death rate, which indicates the number of deaths per 1,000 population, was 7.3 per thousand in 2068 BS, and it has decreased to 6.8 per thousand in 2078 BS. In 2058 BS, the crude death rate was 10.2.
Gender Ratio of Deaths in Nepal
The gender death ratio in Nepal stands at 137.6, meaning for every 1,000 women who die, 1,376 men die. This gender ratio is highest in Karnali Province (146.3) and Sudurpashchim Province (144.3). The mortality rate by gender across various age groups shows that men have a higher death rate than women, except in the 95+ age group. The mortality rate among the elderly population is higher in Gandaki and Bagmati Provinces.
Aging Population in Nepal
Around 80% of Nepal’s population is expected to live until the age of 60. For women, the survival rate up to 60 years is 85%, while for men it is 75%. Among affluent families, 84.7% are expected to live to 60, whereas only 77.7% of extremely poor families are expected to reach this age. The survival rate for elderly populations is lower among Dalit communities, especially in the Terai, where it is around 72.8 years.
According to Vinod Sharan Acharya, Director of the Population Branch at the National Statistics Office, life expectancy worldwide has increased from 64.2 years in 1990 to 72.6 years in 2019. It is predicted that life expectancy will continue to rise and reach 77.1 years by 2050. Although progress has been notable, disparities remain, especially in underdeveloped countries. By 2050, one in every six people globally will be aged 65 or older.
Population Aging in Nepal
The percentage of Nepal’s population aged 60 and above has grown from 8.1% in 2068 BS (2011) to 10.2% in 2078 BS (2021). This trend indicates that Nepal is transitioning towards an aging society, and by 2111 BS (2054 AD), the country is expected to become a fully aging society. This will present significant challenges related to housing, healthcare, social security, and economic support for the elderly.
Since 2048 BS (1991), the elderly population in Nepal has increased nearly threefold. The country’s demographic pyramid shows a shift from a youth-dominant population to one with a growing elderly population. This shift is mainly due to a decline in birth rates and increased out-migration, resulting in fewer children and a shrinking working-age population.
Elderly Population Distribution Across Nepal
The aging population in Nepal has shown significant growth in the hilly regions. In 2068 BS, the elderly population in the hills was 25.7%, but by 2078, it had increased to 43.6%. The trend of aging populations is also observed in the mountainous and Terai regions, but the increase is notably faster in the hilly areas compared to the Terai.
Languages Spoken in Nepal
The linguistic diversity in Nepal is significant, as per the results of the 2078 Census, which asked questions about mother tongue, second language, and ancestral language. A total of 124 mother tongues, 117 second languages, and 124 ancestral languages were identified.
Languages spoken in Nepal mainly fall under four major language families: Indo-European (Indo-Aryan), Sino-Tibetan, Austro-Asiatic, and Dravidian. Additionally, there are isolated languages such as Kusunda, and sign language also exists in Nepal.
The two largest language families are Sino-Tibetan and Indo-European, which together account for 99.7% of the population. Nepali is the most widely spoken language, with 44.9% of the population using it as their mother tongue.
There are 21 languages in Nepal with at least 100,000 speakers, collectively representing 95% of the population.
However, the remaining 103 languages, spoken by smaller groups, account for just 5% of the population.
The data indicates that as educational levels increase, the likelihood of Nepali being spoken as a mother tongue also increases, especially among more educated groups.
