Labor force, total in Nepal
Nepal: Labor force, total was 8.36 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Nepal, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in Nepal stood at 8.36 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Nepal peaked at 8.36 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.74 million, in 1990.
That places Nepal 62nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.33 million | 4.74 million | 5.88 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.53 million | 6.00 million | 7.04 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.46 million | 7.16 million | 7.80 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.26 million | 7.98 million | 8.36 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 28.1% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 128.6% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers 157,456 (2025)
- School enrollment, primary, female 126.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary, male 130.6% (2025)
- Labor force, female 37.6% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9234 GPI (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Nepal?
- Labor force, total in Nepal was 8.36 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 8.36 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.74 million in 1990.
- How does Nepal rank for labor force, total?
- Nepal ranks 62nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.