Nepal — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Nepal, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Nepal was 10.46% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 13.04% in 2020. The lowest was 10.44% in 2023 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.00% per year.
Nepal ranks 36 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 19%. The median for South Asia is 4.22%, so Nepal sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 20% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 2%. Within South Asia it ranks 1 of 6 economies; Maldives (4.51%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 24% in 2020. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 48th of 187 in 1991 → 65th of 187 in 2000 → 53rd of 187 in 2010 → 39th of 187 in 2020 → 33rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10.47% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 10.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 10.44% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 10.66% | -1.6 pp |
| 2021 | 12.24% | -0.8 pp |
| 2020 | 13.04% | +2.6 pp |
| 2019 | 10.48% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 10.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 10.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 10.71% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 10.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 10.62% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 10.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 10.63% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 10.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 10.56% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 10.58% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 10.6% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 10.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 10.61% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 10.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 10.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 10.64% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 10.59% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 10.5% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 10.53% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 10.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 10.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 10.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 10.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 10.47% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 10.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 10.49% | +0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 10.47% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 10.47% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Nepal’s Unemployment in 1992?
10.47% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Nepal’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was broadly flat overall: +0.0% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 10.47%; 2024: 10.5%; 2023: 10.44%; 2022: 10.66%; 2021: 12.24%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.